PHOTO: Makoko Protesters
By: Mandy Park
The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has condemned what it described as a distortion of facts by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode, over the recent protest by demolition victims at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, and signed by its President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, made available to Nigeria News Mark, the human rights organisation faulted Ogundipe’s rejoinder on the incident, describing it as misleading and an attempt to justify what it called the brutal suppression of peaceful protesters by security operatives.
CHSR insisted that contrary to claims credited to the lawmaker, protesters did not attempt to force their way into the Assembly complex.
According to the group, the demonstration was peaceful, orderly, and non-violent, adding that there were media reports, eyewitness accounts, and video evidence to support its position.
The organisation stated that many of the protesters were elderly men and women who had been displaced by ongoing demolitions in parts of Lagos State and were merely exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly. It noted that civil society leaders at the protest ground, including Hassan Taiwo Soweto, repeatedly urged the protesters to remain calm and disciplined.
CHSR further alleged that at a point during the protest, demonstrators were asked to sit peacefully on the ground while arrangements were being made to distribute food and water, before security operatives allegedly dispersed the gathering with teargas.
Describing the use of force as excessive and punitive, the group said the action was inconsistent with democratic norms and blamed state actors for attempting to shift responsibility to the protesters.
The rights group also dismissed claims by the Assembly that lawmakers attempted to engage the protesters in “good faith,” arguing that genuine dialogue could not take place under what it described as intimidation and the use of force.
It added that assertions that protesters rejected dialogue were a misrepresentation of events.
CHSR condemned what it termed the criminalisation of dissent and the alleged attempt to portray Soweto as abusive or provocative, warning that such actions could have a chilling effect on civic engagement in the state.
While acknowledging that the Assembly sought to distance itself from the actions of the police, the organisation argued that it could not be absolved of moral responsibility for events that occurred at the gates of the state legislature.
The group also linked the incident to the ongoing demolitions in Makoko and surrounding communities, noting that the Lagos State House of Assembly had reportedly endorsed the demolitions during a recent plenary session.
Additionally, CHSR accused the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, of personal hostility toward Soweto over his criticisms of police actions during demolitions in various communities, including Makoko, Oworonshoki, and Owode.
The organisation demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Hassan Soweto and other detained protesters, as well as the release of a seized musical truck.
It also called for an independent investigation into the alleged use of excessive force, an immediate halt to forced evictions without proper resettlement plans, and a public retraction of statements it said were intended to justify repression.
“Public office is a trust, not a licence to mislead,” the statement read, adding that CHSR would continue to stand with displaced communities and peaceful protesters demanding accountability and justice.’
