True to its word, the federal government on Saturday frustrated the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest, with the police arresting 40 would-be protesters as they trooped to the scene in high brow Lekki, Lagos in ones and twos.

Some of the arrested persons said they were mere passers-by who had nothing to do with the protest.

The arrests, apparently part of the minimum force Defence Minister Bashir Magashi vowed earlier in the day would be applied by government on the protesters, sparked condemnations from the human rights community and the political class.

The arrested persons were subsequently arraigned before the Lagos State Mobile Court in Yaba on a three count charge of conspiracy; conduct likely to cause breach of public peace and flouting the Covid-19 guidelines.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) deplored the thwarting of the protest.

Human rights lawyer/activist Ebun Adegboruwa said he was “sorely troubled” to see videos showing arrested protesters being subjected to acts of brutality by the police.

Adegboruwa, who is a member of Lagos State Judicial Panel probing alleged police brutality and the Lekki Toll Gate incident of October 20, said he could not continue to participate in the assignment of the panel if the police continued to perpetrate “fresh assaults” with impunity.

A former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, asked government to allow the protesters express themselves without intimidation.

A large contingent of armed policemen had been deployed to the area on Friday night ahead of the planned protest, with government vowing that it would not tolerate any protest so soon after the October mayhem that claimed many lives and assets.

The security agents were there all night, waiting for protesters who might defy the order to stay away.

Some youths indeed defied the order.

But they were picked up as soon as they arrived at the toll gate and driven in different vehicles to the police station.

One of the vehicles, a Black Maria, failed to start when it was to take some of the arrested persons away.

It had to be pushed by workers of the Lekki Consession Company to move.

One of the arrested persons was comedian and activist, Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr. Macaroni.

The Nation