Mohbad: Why we dispersed sympathisers with teargas at Lekki Toll Gate– Police
Posted by Ahmed Iyanda | one year ago | 917 times
The Lagos state police command has said it dispersed sympathizers who gathered to mourn the death of late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba popularly known as Mohbad at the Lekki Toll Gate to forestall the recurrence of the EndSARS saga.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, and made available on the verified page of the Lagos State Police X page today.
According to the statement, there was agreement between the police and the organizers of the procession not to use the Lekki Toll Gate as a point of gathering which was adhered to during the procession but some persons later violated by gathering there.
"It is instructive to note that the Lagos State Police Command had an agreement with the organizers of the candle light procession that the procession was to end at 8pm latest and should terminate at Muri Okunola, Victoria Island. It was clearly stated for avoidance of doubt that in the interest of all Lagosians and considering the heavy use of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, the Lekki Toll Gate would be a no-go area.
"It, however, became disconcerting that after the procession duly ended at Muri Okunola park as agreed, with the police providing optimal security all through, some persons started gathering at the Lekki Toll Gate with intent to manifest objectives extraneous to the #justiceforMohbad initiative," the statement reads.
“Being a clear violation of the laid down agreement, the Lagos State Police Command invited the procession organisers who came back and joined the officers on the ground in persuading the people at the toll gate to disperse peacefully. The organizers equally sent out messages on social media asking everyone to go home, clarifying in clear terms that it was not a protest but a procession that had been successfully concluded. This persuasion and appeal went on for hours, to which the police and organizers met defiance, both in words and action. At this point, all lanes in and out of Lekki had been totally blocked. Vehicular movement on the ever-busy expressway had been brought to a total standstill, leading to traffic build-up.
“Having gone down this road before, having learnt from previous similar encounters, and having studied the pattern in the crowd, the red flags and early warning signs of total chaos and anarchy were discernible. Therefore, in fulfillment of our mandate to protect life and property, maintain law and order, and prevent crimes, we adopted the least harmful method of crowd dispersal, following the failure of verbal persuasion – the use of teargas. Not a single live ammunition was fired! The police adopted crowd management best practices in engaging the unruly crowd. No life was lost neither was there any injury.”
It would be recalled that Mohbad who died September 27th, 2023 at the age of 27 years has led to widespread outrage on social media with the hashtag #Justice4Mohbad as well as on the streets, where his fans are demanding an investigation surrounding his death.
Mohbad, who became a stalwart of the Nigerian music industry with hits such as 'Ponmo,' 'Feel Good,' among others was a part of the record label company Marlin Records.
As per reports, Mohbad left the record label in 2022. The fans of the rapper have focused their anger on the record label, as it's believed that he was subjected to 'fear, pains, and ordeals' by the company and its founder, Azeez Fashola, known as Naira Marley, after he left the company.
However, The Lagos State Police Command yesterday confirmed the conclusion of an autopsy on the remains of the late singer.
The Lagos State Police Command, confirmed Mohbad’s corpse had been exhumed and medical experts have successfully concluded the autopsy, adding that, "Our concern as the police is the outcome of the autopsy, as we’re expecting the result soon."
The Command also confirmed the arrest of the nurse who reportedly administered an injection on Mohbad before his demise.
