The Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos State, on Wednesday, distanced themselves from the planned nationwide protest scheduled to kick off on Thursday, saying that they will not be part of alleged gang to set Lagos on fire and bring down President Bola Tinubu’s government.
They urged their members not to partake in the protest, adding that it is being sponsored by faceless groups and individuals.
According to them, there is no need for any nationwide protest against Tinubu’s government at the moment, noting that the administration has been churning out people-oriented policies.
Speaking at a press conference held in Ikeja, the leader of the Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos, Alhaji Shehu Usman, said his people are totally against the planned national protest and will not be part of any plan to cause trouble in Lagos.
Usman said they are not in support of the protest because some people with selfish interests want to set Nigeria, and Lagos in particular, on fire.
He said: “We are fully aware that some politicians and their sponsors, under the guise of protesting against what they claim is hardship in Nigeria, have ganged up to bring down the democratically elected government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“We are worried and concerned about the plan of the faceless sponsors of the protest and individuals who are determined to achieve their evil objectives through acts of brigandage and criminality during their proposed #EndBadGovernance protest, scheduled to hold from tomorrow, August 1 to 10, 2024.
“We recognise the constitutional rights of every Nigerian citizen to protest peacefully, but the drums of war being beaten from various quarters in the country based on the demands of those championing the national protest, targeting Lagos State, the home state of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will not be allowed by the Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos, who are living in different parts of the state.
“We are not in support of the protest because we believe some fifth columnists, politicians, and those who want to set Nigeria, particularly Lagos, on fire are behind the protests for selfish interests.”
The Arewa leader recalled the EndSARS protest of 2020, stating that it is still fresh in their memories
“We don’t want to repeat that bad event where people lost properties worth billions of naira. We don’t want another mass destruction of public and private properties in Lagos State. We don’t want another destruction of public assets in Lagos State, which is the commercial and economic nerve center of Nigeria.
“As Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos State, we want to say unequivocally that we will stand against any protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos State. We are against any protests in Lagos State because we don’t want any destruction in the state. We are in support of peace in Lagos and Nigeria.
“Lagos State has been home to many of us for many years, and we will not support any attempt to destroy the state in the name of protests by some faceless groups and individuals. We are against the protests, and we want all our members not to participate in the national protests,” Usman stated.
Also speaking, the Arewa Women Leader in the state, Hajiya (Barr.) Fatima Bako, also kicked against the protests. “We are saying no to the national protest because we want peace in Lagos State and Nigeria. We are totally against the protest,” she declared.
The planned nationwide protest is scheduled to hold from August 1 to 10.
