The Lagos State Police Command have advised the Ikeja branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) led by Mr. Adesina Ogunlana to shelve their planned protest slated for Tuesday, 20th February, 2018 as all avenues to resolving their grievances have not been exploited.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, is deeply worried about the security implication of such protest at this time the resources of the command is over stretched. Thus, it is expected that the NBA chairman whose office is a shouting distance away from the CP’s office, should have at least briefed him on the matter and indeed any issue of interest to his association instead of planning a street protest for a matter that could be resolved in the CP’s office without much ado. Moreso the unit of the Police which the NBA has issues with and indeed all operational Police units in the state are under the command of the CP.
The Command then views the planned protest and the call by the NBA Chairman that all manner of people should join the protest as a call to breach the public peace and safety and an unnecessary dissipation of valuable energy.
The Command in a statement issued by its spokesperson, SP Chike Oti, have drawn the attention of the organisers of the protest that intelligence report at its disposal indicates that certain elements are hell bent on truncating the peace in the State and are merely waiting for triggers such as the planned protest by the NBA to execute their intentions.
The statement also stressed that the Command would like to inform the NBA Chairman that as a stakeholder in peace affairs, security and public orderliness in the state, he ought to partner the force in ensuring public safety and not resort to acts capable of breaching the peace enjoyed by all in the state.
The statement expressed further that the CP wishes to assure the NBA Chairman that his complaint as seen in the newspapers is noted and that investigation into the matter is in progress and at the end, a joint press conference in which the NBA Chairman would be invited would be held.
