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To counter the planned February 13 #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest at the tollgate plaza, some youth have announced a #DefendLagos rally to hold at the same venue.
The plan to #OccupyLekkiTollGate came barely a day after the controversial ruling of the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry to reopen the Lekki Tollgate.
The panel, headed by Doris Okuwobi, a retired judge, on Saturday ruled in favour of the Lekki Concession Company, LCC, to repossess the toll plaza for repairs and insurance claims.
The ruling was supported by five members out of the nine-man panel, with four other members, including Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and the youth representatives dissenting to the ruling.
Despite the dissenting ruling, the Lekki Toll Plaza has been handed over to LCC for reopening.
The tollgate has not been operational since October 20, 2020, when armed soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters, killing some and injuring several others.
In addition to the #DefendLagos hashtag on social media, the youth are also trending #DemNoBornYourPapaWell, a threat to protesters to stay away from the toll plaza.
“Let us protect what the destroyers left behind while we rebuild Lagos. Join the ‘defend Lagos’ rally at the Lekki toll plaza,” read the #DefendLagos banner shared on various social media platforms.
The banner also has pictures of facilities destroyed during the violence that followed the #EndSARS protest in the state.
Prior to the October 20 shooting at the tollgate, armed police officers fired tear gas canisters on residents protesting the tolling of the expressway, in 2011, after the toll gate was constructed. One person died on that day.
See tweets of the planned protest on Saturday below:
