By ALABA OLUSOLA OKE

Mr Omoyele Sowore, the leader of End Bad Governance protest, said that the peaceful protest on Thursday, was aimed at raising public awareness of citizens’ rights to democratic participation.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), in a chat with journalists in Akure, said the protest was also to speak out against bad governance.

He explained that a letter had been written by the group’s legal counsel to the Commissioner of Police on the rights of citizens to hold the peaceful protest.

Sowore, however, alleged that despite the letter, the peaceful protest was disrupted by thugs.

“What is so sad is that a letter had been written by a lawyer to the Commissioner of Police.

“The letter was not to plead with the police that we want to protest, but just to remind them of their duties as policemen to protect people in the country.

“It’s shocking that they failed in that responsibility because they have aided thugs to disrupt this protest.

“The Commissioner of Police did promise that something would be done, but we’ve given him a matching order that if something is not done, we’ll come back here and take over the place.

“Nobody has the right to prevent another Nigerian from expressing themselves, and that is why, you see, I’m always in the crosshairs of the police, whether the person oppressed is a policeman, or whosoever.

“We are not going to accept it. We are not and that’s why we have come here today. These hired thugs came to sabotage and hijack the protest. They came to attack the peaceful protesters,” he said.

Also, Mr Tope Temokun, a human rights activist, said that the protesters had formally requested the intervention of police to ensure the safety and protection of peaceful protesters scheduled to take place in Akure.

Reacting, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Wilfred Afolabi, said that no policeman would be allowed to associate with thugs.

“With the level of training we have received both locally and internationally, we will not allow any policeman under my watch to have anything to do with thugs.

“So the allegation that maybe police connived with thugs to attack the group is baseless,” he said. (NAN)