Sanwo-Olu condemns attack on protesters

Etim Ekpimah

The Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday condemned the attack on #EndSARS/#EndSWAT protesters in Alausa, Ikeja around 7am by armed youths.

The governor, who said this in his twitter handling @jidesanwo-Olu, described the attackers as unscrupulous elements.

He said, “I strongly condemn the attack of peaceful protesters by armed and unscrupulous elements trying to cause chaos in Alausa today.

“My government will never tolerate the attack of protesters. Security agents will immediately protect peaceful protesters from miscreants.”

Prior to the statement from the governor, Nigerians were accusing him of masterminding the attacks on the protesting youths, saying that he reneged quickly on his promises of protecting the youths against any attacks of any kind provided they conducted themselves peacefully.

But information is now beginning to emerge about the identity of one of the attackers. The identified attacker Adagun Rasheed, a father of a baby girl, whose Facebook identity is Adagun Osha, lives at Morica Street, Agege, near Danjuma Cinema.

He is always said to be in Oju Market in Agege. Rasheed is also linked to Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo as one of his boys.

MC Oluomo, who was said to be behind the attack on peaceful #EndSARS/#EndSWAT protesters in Alausa, Ikeja, stridently denied the allegation.

Jimoh Buhari, spokesman for Oluomo, who is the chairman of the National Union of the Road Transport Workers in Lagos State, denied his principal involvement and sponsoring of the violence against the #EndSARS/#EndSWAT protesters in Lagos.

MC Oluomo’s spokesman, Jimoh Buhari, said this during a chat with The PUNCH on Thursday.

He said, “We have no hand in the attacks. People should stop accusing us wrongly. Were the thugs wearing NURTW uniforms? Is MC Oluomo holding a political office? He has no hand in the case.”

Buhari told our correspondent that members of the union were also victims of police extortion and it would therefore be unwise of them to thwart a protest that seeks to bring an end to police brutality.

A member of the NURTW, however, told The PUNCH that the heavy traffic caused by the protesters was affecting their livelihoods.

It was, however, gathered that it is possible to pick up all the assailants since the fully-airconditioned BRT is equipped with rear, front and side cameras.