Security operatives have arrested 19 people, including popular social media comedian, Mr Macaroni, for participating in the #LekkiTollgate protest on Saturday.
Youths in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, had announced the protest earlier in the week after a panel probing the shooting of #EndSARS demonstrators at the tollgate by soldiers last year announced it was allowing the Lekki Concession Company to reopen the Lekki tollgate.
On Saturday, Mr Macaroni, whose real name is Debo Adebayo, joined the protest against the planned reopening of the Lekki toll gate. In an Instagram Live video, the comedian revealed he had been arrested and kept in a Black Maria.
He was seen in a video he posted in a police van.
One of the coordinators of #OccupyLekkiTollgate, Kunle Ajayi, had earlier confirmed the crackdown on protesters.
According to reports, among those arrested are trade union movement organiser, Juwon Sanya-Olu, and one Comrade Dimeji.
In a video shared on Twitter, one of the arrested protesters said over 10 of them have been arrested and kept in a Black Maria stationed at the toll gate.
The Nigerian Government and the police had earlier warned youths who planned to protest at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday to have a rethink and shelve the protests.
But the young Nigerians, under the aegis of #EndSARS Season 2 and #OccupyLekkiTollgate, vowed to defy the government’s order.
The other group, #DefendLagos withdrew from the protest, noting that that is in accordance with the government’s directive of “no protest”.
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