13, February 2021
Nigeria police arrest #EndSARS protesters at tollgate 0
Several protesters in Nigeria’s city of Lagos were arrested on Saturday after they tried to hold a peaceful rally against the reopening of the Lekki tollgate, where security forces shot at protesters in October, which became the epicentre of the #EndSARS movement.
“I’m not here with any weapon. I’m here for human rights. This is not done, everybody knows,” said arrested protester Jay D Boy, an artist who spoke from inside a police van.
“Even those police officers today, they know. They know that things are not going well in this country. Three of my friends were killed here last year. And we are not hearing anything about it, this is not a crime.”
Police bundled around 17 protesters into a black truck and some other people drove past shouting “End SARS”, referring to Nigeria’s police unit accused of committing the deadly abuses.
“Picked up because I was walking, in my country. Picked up because I was walking,” said Christopher Emmanuel Ogboji, another arrested protester,
#EndSARS
Many view the reopening of the tollgate as ill-timed and inconsiderate to victims of the Lekki shootings.
The huge highway tollgate became the centre of the protest movement against police brutality by the SARS unit, which has been disbanded.
The demonstrations ended abruptly after the shooting in Lagos and a wave of looting and unrest followed.
The government promised reforms in response.
An investigation into last year’s violence at Lekki has stalled with representatives of the armed forces failing to appear before the panel.
Security forces say they only used blank rounds to break up protesters who had defied a curfew, though Amnesty International said soldiers shot dead at least 10 people
Nigeria’s government this week had warned against holding new protests at Lekki, saying the rallies could descend into violence in the name of justice.
“We are calling on all Nigerian authorities to demonstrate commitment to protect the right to peaceful protest,” watchdog Amnesty International said on Twitter.
Source: Africa News
23, March 2021
Bakassi peninsula: Biafra group threatens violence, orders oil companies out 0
The militia wing of the Biafra Nations League (BNL) has issued a quit notice to companies operating under Nigeria in the Bakassi peninsula.
The group alleged that Nigeria gets 60 percent of the oil in the region and uses the money to “sponsor” the Nigerian military against secessionist.
A BNL commander alias ‘Aso Rock’ accused the federal government of “killing armless pro-Biafra supporters in Imo State and Rivers State”.
The native of Bakassi stated that Nigeria no longer had rights over the area since its territorial ownership was ceded to Cameroon.
“We have asked the oil companies paying tax to the Nigerian government to evacuate, no deadline was given as we can chase them away anytime.
“They cannot be drilling our oil to be developing the north and sponsoring military operations against us.
“Not even Cameroon can stop us otherwise we will engage in full-blown militancy. Boko Haram is fighting four countries without being defeated”.
BNL further warned groups in the Niger Delta rejecting Biafra not to be an obstacle to the freedom of the South-East people.
Source: Dailypost