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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has condemned the presence of armed men as Yoruba groups protest the declaration of Amotekun illegal by the Buhari government.

According to reports, members of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, the Odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), Yoruba World Congress (YWC), among others are among the groups taking part in the rally. It was gathered that some men in uniforms stopped the ‘Amotekun’ protesters at Gani Fawehinmi park. The protesters are at the Gani Fawhinmi park at Ojota with placards tagged “Amotekun Solidarity Walk”. The protests is expected to take place in all the six South-West states comprising Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti. SERAP in its reaction to the rally criticised the Nigeria police over its presence at the peaceful rally, adding that it is unlawful for police to stop protesters.

In a tweet on its official Twitter page, SERAP wrote: “It’s unlawful and unconstitutional for the police to stop Amotekun protesters or any protesters for that matter. Rather than stopping peaceful protesters from exercising their constitutional right, Nigerian authorities should be protecting protesters from violent attacks by others. Authorities should also take measures to address the root causes of protests and citizens’ socioeconomic and other related grievances. Nigerian authorities must ensure that ALL protesters including Amotekun protesters can exercise their right to peaceful assembly. Authorities must ensure that protesters are not ill-treated and that the police are not using excessive force. Nigerian authorities are responsible under our constitution and international law to protect peaceful protesters and ensure a safe and enabling environment for people to exercise their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”