Protest: We Won’t Join Gang–up To Set Lagos On Fire – Arewa Community Says

The Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos State have distanced themselves from the proposed national protests.

They urged members not to partake in the ‘sponsored protests by faceless groups and individuals’.

The group said it is against the proposed national protest because ‘we believe we don’t need any national protests against the administration of President Bola Tinubu at the moment, especially when there are a lot of transformations and people-oriented policies being carried out by the administration’.

Leader of the Arewa Community and Traders Alhaji Shehu Usman, while addressing a news conference at the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, said his people are totally against the proposed national protests and will not be part of any plan to cause trouble in Lagos State.

He, therefore, implored all the members of the Arewa community and traders in the state not to take part in the national protests.

“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 these faceless sponsors who are determined to achieve their evil objectives through acts of brigandage and criminality during their proposed #EndBadGovernance protest.

“We recognise the constitutional rights of every Nigerian to protest peacefully, but the drums of war being beaten from various quarters based on the demands of those championing the national protest, targeting Lagos State, the home state of President Bola Tinubu, will not be allowed by the Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos who live 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 images left behind after the EndSARS protest of 2020 are fresh in our 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 say unequivocally that we will stand against any protest against President Bola Tinubu in Lagos State. We are against any protests in Lagos State because we don’t want any destruction. We are in support of peace in Lagos and Nigeria.

“Lagos State has been home to many of us for years, and we will not support any attempt to destroy it 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.”

Also speaking, the Arewa Women Leader in Lagos State, Hajiya Fatima Bako, 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.”