Commissioner warns against blocking major roads, vows action to maintain public safety….
The Lagos State Police Command has declared activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore wanted for allegedly planning to incite public unrest and obstruct major roads across the state.
State Commissioner of Police Olohundare Jimoh made the announcement on Monday while briefing journalists at the Iyana-Oworo section of the Third Mainland Bridge, stressing that Sowore, leader of the Take It Back Movement, had ignored prior warnings not to mobilise protests over the recent demolition of properties in the Oworonshoki area.
“We are closing in on Sowore and others involved in coordinating activities intended to disrupt public peace. Sowore should surrender at the nearest police station or face arrest wherever he is found,” Jimoh said.
The commissioner warned that anyone attempting to block roads or provoke disturbances would “face the full weight of the law.” He revealed that intelligence reports suggested Sowore and his associates were planning simultaneous demonstrations at strategic locations, including the Third Mainland Bridge, Lekki Tollgate, and Freedom Park, which he described as a criminal plan that could endanger lives and cause massive traffic disruptions.
“It is only someone who needs examination that would attempt to block such a vital route used by thousands daily,” Jimoh added.
According to the police chief, 13 suspects connected to the planned protests have already been arrested, while Sowore is said to have fled. Investigations are ongoing to identify the sponsors and collaborators behind the alleged plot.
The Lagos police have deployed officers along major highways and bridges, with temporary roadblocks and diversions in place to prevent disruptions. Jimoh emphasized the structural dangers of gatherings on the Third Mainland Bridge, noting that the bridge was not designed to hold stationary crowds.
Addressing the recent demolitions in Oworonshoki, the commissioner insisted that affected residents had been compensated.
“The government compensated those affected, and the media witnessed it. There is no justification to provoke a crisis under the guise of protest,” he said.
Jimoh urged Lagos residents to continue their daily activities without fear, assuring that the police and security agencies were fully in control.
“We are not sleeping. We will apprehend, investigate, and prosecute anyone attempting to undermine public safety in Lagos. Freedom of expression must not turn into public nuisance or risk lives,” he declared.
The move comes after Sowore had threatened to stage a protest in response to the demolitions in Oworonshoki, despite earlier warnings from the Lagos police against mobilising demonstrations.
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