Right to Peaceful Protect: Respect Right of Protesters, Lawyer Tells Police

A legal practitioner, Barr Ugochukwu Ezekiel, has called on the Nigerian Police to ensure that the right of Nigerians to conduct peaceful protects.

Barr Ezekiel made the appeal in a press statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

He noted that his calls over the need to preserve the rights of protesters became imperative following the the content of a viral video showing protesters being harassed by another group who have organized a preemptive protest against the peaceful protest against bad governance scheduled for between August 1 and 8, 2024. 

"Today, I saw a video purportedly from Lekki, Lagos State, Nigeria, wherein from the motion picture, there is an ongoing protest against an earlier proposed protest by another group scheduled to hold between the 1st to the 8th of August, 2024," he noted.

Frowning at the preemptive protest, Barr Ezekiel pointed out that the police is mandated to protect those involved in the proposed peaceful protest against bad governance as the right to organize peaceful protest is not only enshrined in the country’s constitution but also supported by various court rulings.

He therefore advised the police to look beyond what he termed "the veil" in order to ensure y that the August protest goes ahead without hitches.

"My strong opinion is that the Nigeria Police Force should look beyond the veil and ensure peaceful assembly and movement for all protesters.

"On this premise also, I call on the President, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu to save our Democracy and ensure that the rights of persons to assemble, hold opinions and peacefully protest are protected."