Constitution Guarantees Right To Peaceful Protest, Says Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.

Atiku said this amid the clampdown on protesters by security operatives at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday.

He tweeted, “The 1999 Nigerian constitution, as amended (Section 40) guarantees the right of citizens to peaceful protest. The courts have also affirmed that right. Anything contrary to that is not acceptable and stands condemned.

“It is the security agents’ responsibility to provide a secured conducive environment for citizens to protest peaceably in line with constitutional provisions and the African Charter on Human rights.”

The Saturday protest is staged against the decision of the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses & Lekki Toll Gate Incident to have the Lekki tollgate reopened under the control of the Lekki Concession Company.

The protesters say the tollgate ought to remain under no control until justice is done regarding the lives allegedly lost when soldiers of the Nigerian Army opened fire during the #EndSARS protest on October 20, 2020.

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