A former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), and Human right Crusader, Omoyele Sowore led June 12 EndBadGovernance Protest on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, before it was disrupted by some unknown thugs.
The protest was against the hardship and insecurity in the country.
It was observed by SUNSHINETRUTH News Reporter that the protesters, had early as possible converged at a popular Cathedral junction, FirstBank Area, ‘A’ Division, before some thugs, believed to be sponsored and allegedly shielded and aided by men of the Nigerian Police Force to disrupt the peaceful demonstration of the #EndBadGovernance protesters.
According to the protesters, the peaceful demonstration aims to raise public awareness of citizens’ rights to democratic participation and to speak out against bad governance.
Omoyele Sowore, an Activist and politician, who led the protest said; “what is so sad is that a letter had been written by a lawyer to the Commissioner of Police, not to plead with police that we want to protest, but just to remind them of their duties as policemen to protect people in the country, and they failed and shocked in that responsibility that’s why we relocated the protests here.
“We have just met with him, and he did promise that something will be done. Do I believe? No, but at least we made our point known. But we’ve given him a matching order that if something is not done, we’ll come back here and take over the place.
“Nobody has the right to prevent another Nigerian from expressing themselves, and that is why, you see, I’m always in the crosshairs of the police, whether the person oppressed is a policeman, or whosoever.
“We are not going to accept it. We are not and that’s why we have come here today. These hired thugs came to sabotage and hijack (our protest). They came to that place to attack the peaceful protest.”
Tope Temokun, a human rights lawyer, who also spoke with journalists during the protest said they have formally requested the intervention of the Ondo State Police Command to ensure the safety and protection of peaceful protesters scheduled to take place in Akure.
While reacting to the protest, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Wilfred Afolabi said; “with the level of training we have received both locally and internationally, we will not allow any police man under my watch to have anything to do with thugs. So their allegation that maybe police connived with thugs to attack them is baseless.”
