…Says Olokoba, Others Not Members.
A pro-democracy and human rights group, The Defend Lagos Coalition, DLC, has accused another Lagos-based organization, the New Nigeria Network, NNN, of incitement, cheap blackmail and barefaced lies, outright falsehood and misinformation; insisting thatthe press conference addressed by the NNN on Thursday, 13th January, 2022 in Lagos, was capable of inciting the public to breach the peace within the community.
In a statement, co-signed by two major stakeholders of the coalition, Comrades Gbenga Soloki and Raji Oyewumi, DLC took exception to NNN’s undue attacks, name calling, threat and blackmail, saying that “the NNN feels traumatised with our insistence that we would not be a party to a campaign of lies and falsehood in the aftermath of the violent 2020 #EndSARS protests; but we however owe it to posterity to set the records straight, based on facts and logic.”
According to the DLC, the NNN, which was described as a group of three men, masquerading as concerned Nigerians, in the said press conference, turned logic, fact and rationality on its head, when it attacked the Lagos State government White Paper issued on the Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters, by falsely claiming that, “The white paper dwelt majorly on the report and recommendations of the Lekki massacre, while there is no White Paper till date from Lagos State government on the investigation into SARS related abuses, which is the primary assignment of the panel.”
The DLC further stated, “Well, for the education and information of the ignorant New Nigeria Network, the Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters submitted two reports of its investigation and findings, of which one was on its primary assignment of abuses by SARS and the other was on the investigation of the Lekki tollgate incident of 20th October, 2020.
“Accordingly, the Lagos State government in line with its constitutional responsibility, issued a White Paper on both reports differently, which are in the public domain, but because this group of three men’s false and mischievous expectations were dashed by the White Paper, which did justice to the panel’s report, particularly on the 20th October 2020 Lekki tollgate incident. They assume they can play a fast one on Lagosians and Nigerians by pretending to be crying more than the bereaved and claiming that they are going to seek justice for victims of SARS abuses.
“Again for their information, over N400 million was awarded as compensation to legitimate victims of SARS and other security agencies’ rights’ abuses by the Lagos State judicial panel and were duly paid by the Lagos State government to the victims as awarded. So we implore the New Nigeria Network of three men to go and do their homework properly in order to be educated and informed, rather than swimming in tissue of lies, which exposes their ignorance, mischief and unseriousness.”
Continuing, the statement also alleged that “The New Nigeria Network of three men embarked on an irresponsible campaign of blackmail and calumny against The Defend Lagos Coalition, whose only offence for which its members have become the object of attacks by the New Nigeria Network and it’s cronies, is the crime of asking for factual and incontrovertible evidence to substantiate whatever allegations that is made at the Lagos State judicial panel on the Lekki tollgate incident of 20th October 2020, as well as for questioning and exposing the inconsistencies in the panel report of conclusion without premise on the Lekki tollgate incident submitted to the Lagos State government and for it’s admonishment on the October 2021 #EndSARS memorial anniversary from being transformed into a vehicle to injure, maim, kill and burn down private and property of innocent Lagosians in the name of protests and demonstrations.
“As we are all aware, the mentioned members of The Defend Lagos Coalition and others, are beneficiaries of rallies, protest marches and demonstrations for over three decades, as social crusaders and have never been involved in public protests and marches that turned violent, resulting in attacks on innocent citizens, stealing, looting, burning of private and public properties, including attacks and burning of police stations, formations, palaces, shopping malls, banks, correctional facilities, media stations, burning and killing of policemen and cannibalizing their corpses, setting suspects free and carting away arms and ammunition from police armoury, etc, all in the name of ventilating grievances and asserting the rights to protest which is an inalienable and constitutionally guaranteed right as witnessed in Lagos State in October 2020.
“And for the umpteenth time, the New Nigeria Network of three men got it all wrong again. Comrade Razaq Olokoba is not and has never been a member of The Defend Lagos Coalition. But we at The Defend Lagos Coalition are very proud to associate with this patriot and nationalist, because of what he stands for, which is about good governance, law and order. Comrade Olokoba is a tested and trusted comrade, who has cut his teeth in social crusade causes right from his school days in Ilorin, before he migrated to Lagos and has continued on that responsible path of seeking a peaceful and orderly society through social transformation via masses struggle.
“Comrade Olokoba was one of the front liners in the struggle for our democracy, as he teamed up with great minds like late Chief Anthony Enahoro and other progressive minds and groups to insist on the rights of Nigerians to determine how they want to be ruled. He is also a leader in the self-determination movement in Nigeria and we are very proud of his exploits, which are admirable and affectionate.
“In the video that is sending jitters down the spine of the New Nigeria Network of three men, Comrade Olokoba made it very clear that as a patriotic citizen, he and other like minds are compiling incontrovertible videos and photographs of those responsible for the acts of violence visited on the Nigerian people under the guise of #EndSARS protests in Lagos State and will be making the information available to the security agencies for necessary action. If you are not a criminal, how can you be having sleepless nights if the society is waging war against crime? Definitely like our people say, the worries of these three men of New Nigeria Network and their cronies over the patriotic duty being embarked by Comrade Olokoba and other progressive minds, must be borne out of being haunted by one’s shadow, but no matter what, this cheap blackmail cannot stop the work of the people and God in bringing those responsible for the orgy of violence to book.”
Exonerating others like Olokoba, the statement further added, “Comrades Debo Adeniran, Nelson Ekujumi and Declan Ihekaire are activists who have followed in the footpath of civil rights greats in Nigeria, such as late Alao Aka Bashorun, Gani Fawehinmi, Beko Ransome Kuti, Ola Oni, Anthony Enahoro, Baba Omojola, Alfred Ilenre, Chima Ubani, etc, who were all so passionate and committed to social transformation through civilized means of engagement, and we are convinced that the above mentioned comrades have remained faithful and committed to same glorious path of civility and responsibility in their activities.
“The New Nigeria Network of three men also went further in its press text of lies, falsehood and misinformation to allege that The Defend Lagos Coalition, ‘Prior to the #EndSARS Memorial of 20th October, 2021, launched physical attacks on #EndSARS Memorial Walkers with the police contingent under the supervision of the outgoing Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, now elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, looking on’. This is nothing but outright falsehood. If we may ask, where did this imagination of lies by the three men of New Nigeria Network take place? Because we are all aware that the #EndSARS memorial walk of 20th October, 2021 was well attended by the media and there was no report of this sort of attack happening anywhere except in the warped imagination of persons whose soul and mind are soaked in lies and falsehood.
“We therefore call on the three men of New Nigeria Network to provide any iota of evidence to substantiate their tissue of lies and falsehood. Just like they consistently lied about the Lekki massacre of 20th October, 2020 which was not corroborated by any iota of incontrovertible evidence at the Lagos State judicial panel; these shameless liars are back on the same track, but we can assure them, that they are merely taking a walk in the park, because their usual antics is well known to Lagosians and Nigerians.
“The group of three men of New Nigeria Network also made a ludicrous call on the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to take notice of the activities of The Defend Lagos Coalition, as well as call on the governor of Lagos State,Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to order the arrest and prosecution of the group members.
“What a shame that the group of three men of New Nigeria Network has displayed utter ignorance on how a society operates. The Defend Lagos Coalition is a coalition of serious minded patriots and activists, whose contributions to the growth of democracy and good governance, using civilized means of engagement is well documented; these are intellectuals whose only weapon is their intellect, deployed through civility and orderliness, to move the society forward as against the proponents of violence.
“Olokoba, Adeniran, Ekujumi and Ihekaire are leaders of civil society organizations, who are well known for deploying their sagacity in a bid to change the society for the good of all. They have never been found or alleged to be involved in acts inimical to good conduct, law and order, except in the warped minds of bunch of clowns masquerading as social crusaders; and so, we are not surprised by the tantrums of the group of three men of New Nigeria Network.
“The group of three men of New Nigeria Network and their ilks, must be told in clear and unmistakable terms, that the role of citizens and groups to change society for good is driven by ideas, which give room for differing opinions and thoughts on issues and not mob mentality of attack, curse, lies, falsehood, misinformation against differing opinions, no society grows through such acts of barbarism.”
Concluding, the DLC vowed to remain committed to the task of nation building, through civilized means of engagement, via debates, discussion, dialogues, seminars, peaceful rallies, walks and marches; insisting that “no amount of personal attacks, name calling, abuses, insults, campaign of blackmail and calumny can detract us from our societal responsibility which nature has placed on our shoulders for the collective good of the Nigerian people and on this mandate we stand.”
