By Seun Akioye
(An eye witness account first published on TELL website)
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| The police and protesters on January 3: Photo by Sunday Adedeji/TELL |
I joined the rally as the crowd began to
move from Yaba towards Ojota around 10:18am on January 3, 2012. All the major
civil society leaders were there; Femi Falana [ lawyer], Abiodun Aremu
[activist], Richard Akinola [activist], Ayodele Akele [activist] , Ganiat
Fawehinmi [widow of feary lawyer Gani
Fawehinmi] , Dr Dipo Fasina [former preasident of ASUU] , Dr Demola Aremu and a
host of others. These were mainly the same old battle weary soldiers. The
government knew they would be there; the government was prepared for them. I looked around to see any familiar face from
the Twitter/Facebook warriors, these young men and women who are so vocal and
militant on social media -some of them had vowed to go on hunger strike until
the fuel prices are reverted- but I was really disappointed not to see any of
them. They confirmed my theory that these people giving themselves online
awards are only grandstanding and they are the same people that will be there
at the “Presidential Lunch” with youths.
The other groups were made up of civil
society activists from CDHR and other affiliates, there were some young people-
mainly student union leaders and disciples of the civil society groups-they
were charged and hardened. When we got to Fadeyi, the leaders, Dr. Fasina, and
Comrade Aremu, said we should sit on the street on the right lane of the
expressway. The youths, who had now gone ahead of the leaders, thought taking
over the whole expressway would be better, so they did. They began to chant and
dance. At this stage, the traffic both outgoing and incoming had come to a
standstill.
But I noticed a certain division between
the leaders of the protest. While Femi Falana and others were granting
interviews to the media, Biodun Aremu and Akele were worried that there seemed
to be a breakdown in the coordination. Aremu seized the megaphone and called
the attention of the media. He expressed worry that the rally was turning to a
personality interview slot and that is not good for the coordination. While the
comrade was struggling with his worries, some youths who had gone ahead began
to make a bonfire using old tyres. As Aremu spoke, the first whiff of dark
smoke from a burning tyre went up into the sky.
I was apprehensive at the turn of events.
My concern was that if the rally should assume a violent direction, then when
the police came, they would have justifiable reason to unleash terror on all of
us and it would badly taint the reputation of the rally coordinators. The
youths, who by now were beyond caring, began to turn back motorists coming
towards Yaba. Commercial vehicles were forced to a stop while private cars made
a U-Turn right in the middle of the expressway facing the oncoming vehicles.
Some articulated vehicles were forced to
block the expressway while residents of the area quickly shut their doors and
windows. I found Comrade Akele and expressed my worry that things were getting
out of hand. The other leaders like Dr. Fashina also expressed the same concern
and told Comrade Aremu to ensure that tyres were not burnt. But Aremu told us
that in Nigeria, burning of tyres is part of the mobilisation and there was
nothing he could do about it. I was alarmed by this frank confession and began
to worry that I was in the wrong crowd. The youth were now joined by some
really frustrated Nigerians who said we should turn the whole rally into a
Libyan Revolution.
Afrobeat singer Seun Anikulapo-Kuti arrived
wearing a black T-shirt. He greeted some of the leaders and told Aremu he had
stopped the boys burning tyres up front and that everything was calm. We
proceeded and got to Onipanu. This time communication between the leaders who
by now had been left behind and the rampaging youths had broken down
completely. Cars were forced to park in the BRT lane while the owners were
thoroughly intimidated by the youths. The frightened commuters quickly
concurred with whatever the youths asked of them.
By the time we got to Anthony, things were
out of hand. The youths threw down the police posts, rough handled a traffic
police officer and on the other side, an OP MESA van was accosted by the
youths. The van forced to a stop and the two soldiers inside had to fight their
way out. Anthony was really hot but contrary to some reports that area boys
hijacked the rally, burning cars and shooting in the air, I can confirm that it
never happened. In fact, the area boys seeing the rampaging youths quickly cut
down leaves and began to shout in solidarity, vandalising properties. Banks were closed so were other business
interests while the owners and workers looked at us through the safety of their
windows. I found comrade Akele again and we began to beg the youths to stop.
They turned a deaf ear.
When we moved towards Maryland, the
situation was restored to calm, the leaders wanted the rally to continue
towards Ojota at the Gani Fawehinmi Park. But some sections wanted to occupy
Maryland, so while the main group went under the Independence Tunnel at Maryland,
another group went up to Maryland junction. I was part of that group.
Comrade Aremu made a speech to the rally at
the Independence Tunnel while we watched from the top of the bridge. He spoke
about the wickedness of the regime and how the subsidy removal would further
impoverish the poor. While he was speaking, a contingent of mobile policemen
came. Activist Gbenga Sonoiki and I were the first to meet them. The leader
told us they were there to keep the peace and ensure no law is broken. We assured
him nothing of such will happen and that we will release the traffic as soon as
we are done with the speech. Later, I spoke to the officer in charge of the
unit and he told me that he is fully in support of the rally. He lamented the
hardship brought about by the fuel hike and said majority of the officers would
support the rally. This same feeling was expressed by three other policemen I
spoke to.
By this time, the rally had moved on to
Ojota, but we still kept watch over the Maryland bonfires and occupation. Ten
minutes later, we released the traffic and began to put out the bonfire. But
that was when chaos began too as a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tunde Sobulo,
reputed as a fearless crime fighter and also a wicked officer led some mobile
policemen to Maryland. Sobulo and his men jumped on both passersby and
protesters. I had interviewed the man in 1999 when he was the RRS coordinator
and as I stood rooted there trying to remember where we had met, I heard his
sneering voice ordering his men to arrest me.
I was dazed and stood rooted there. Was it
me this man had just ordered arrested or someone else? By the time I came to
realisation, three mobile policemen were close on me and like in a trance, I
dialogued with my legs jumping bonfires and running over cars. There was chaos.
Sobulo began to shout that the policemen were there and did not shoot and
disperse us, he was angry that they even gave us protection. In an
uncontrollable rage, he lashed out with the butt of his gun at an Inspector of
police, and chased him all the way down towards Mende. The scene was a sorry
sight. I saw the two coming towards me and ran again to the other side towards
Bank Anthony way, and then I heard a shot ring out and then teargas. I looked
back to see a youth wearing a green shirt being arrested and beaten up by the
Police. The boy stood his ground and refused to beg as he was being dragged
behind Sobulo towards the police van.
Then the unthinkable happened, the boy in a
smart move freed himself from the grip of the police and ran across the road
back to Mende side. I looked in front and was accosted by two Policemen.
Raising my hands in surrender, I screamed “press, press” and that was when they
allowed me to go. Along with the TVC crew, I ran towards Mr. Biggs at the
Mobile filling station. We continued to run towards Protea Hotel in a panic, it
was a sorry sight. After some calm we came back to the street and saw Sobulo in
a mad fit, swinging his gun round and round. I saw one of the policemen I spoke
to earlier and asked him whether Sobulo was alright. “He is a madman he said
people should not protest when we too as policemen are suffering. He has
millions in his account, but I suffer to pay my children’s school fees. He is a
mad man, if you have a way to report him please do.”
I laughed to hear this astonishing
revelation, but then Sobulo had started running wildly towards Anthony, holding
his gun by one hand in the air. His officers stood around in amazement as he
ran screaming, puffing and heaving. I tried to find out what he was chasing
after and saw two elderly women.
-Akioye, is a tobacco activist and
freelance journalist. He can be found on Twitter @seunakioye
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