#OCCUPYLEKKITOLLGATE FACES HUGE RESISTANCE

The Nigerian youths outraged by the government’s position have been pushing the hashtag #OccupyLekkiTollGate since Sunday night and was number one on Nigeria’s Twitter trend table for several hours on Monday. They have also shared and reshared graphics and tweets for mobilisation for a protest on Saturday at the Lekki toll gate.

But their vexation started to face resistance by Monday night. The opposing side also took to Twitter to express plans for a counter-protest planned for Saturday at Lekki toll plaza tagged Defend Lagos Protest. For every #OccupyLekkiTollGate, there’s a corresponding #DefendLagos, and #DemNoBornYourPapaWell tweet.

#DefendLagos, and #DemNoBornYourPapaWell have remained on the Twitter trend table since Monday night. LCC, through its counsel, had been praying the panel to allow it to take over the plaza for repair and insurance claims since December 2020. But the panel earlier said the toll plaza could not be handed over as a forensic expert has been paid by the Lagos state government to examine the toll gate with respect to the October 20 shooting incident.

But on February 6th, Okuwobi, a retired judge, said the forensic report is ready and the panel is satisfied “but would not wait till the termination of the petitions before it hands over control of Lekki toll gate to LCC”.

After the panel’s chair ruling, Ebun Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and member of the panel, led three other members to oppose the ruling of the judge. Adegboruwa, Patience Udoh (lawyer and human rights activist), and the two representatives of the youth, Rinuola Oduola and Temitope Majekodunmi, said the decision of the judge and other members of the panel does not represent theirs.

Adegboruwa said the handover of the plaza at this time “is hasty, premature and will overreach the work and eventual recommendations of the panel.” This scenerio was what birth the occupy Lekki toll gate hash tags which now face a stiff restrictions by another set of Lagos youths who believes the entire #EndSARS protest has been hijack by people who want to set Lagos back to primitive ages.