Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has averred that the right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.
Atiku made this statement amidst the unlawful arrest of protesters by security operatives at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday.
He wrote on Twitter “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 planned 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.