Lagos State Police Command has threatened to close the African Shrine, Ikeja, over the hosting of a meeting, which is organised by Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, that was originally scheduled to be held on Tuesday at the African Shrine by 12 noon, themed “Mass meeting of a movement of the people – #EndSars Movement lessons and tasks”.
The flyer which listed the names of all twelve invited organisations which included but not limited to the Nigerian Resistance Movement (NRM), Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and all unorganised groups have now been threatened from holding by the police.
Kuti has revealed that the police invited his sister and threatened to shut down the facility if the meeting holds.
In a letter to the Kuti family, which was dated 16 November 2020 addressed to “The manger” of the African Shrine, and signed by the Office of the Commissioner of Police Ikeja, the gathering was cited to be an unwelcomed development following the recent conflict in the state resulting from the aftermath of the End SARS protest and if allowed to go on will be labelled a deliberate action to sabotage the restoration of peace in Lagos.
The police ordered the suspension of the programme.
“It is on this premise that I write that such a gathering or meeting planned to be hosted at your venue is not welcome at this perilous time when the security of the nation is trying to find her feet to stabilize all threat to life and properties.
“You are hereby warned to suspend such gathering as any infraction that may emerge from this gathering will be tagged a deliberate action to sabotage the transition and restoration of the peace in Lagos State by the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force,” it read.
Reacting to the letter by the police, Seun said he will go ahead with his program.
He tweeted: “So yesterday the government called my eldest sister Yeni Akuti and threatened to close the shrine if I hold my event there tomorrow and sent a letter to back it up. I respect my family’s decision not to hold the event as is, but I will still go ahead with all the other…”
“I respect my family’s decision not to hold the event but I will still go ahead with all the other organisations to launch the Movement of the People tomorrow and start our political resistance to the tyranny of this oppressive regime.
“This is a meeting, just a meeting of organisations and they are basically banning the right of association. Why are they afraid of the people organising? What is democratic about this act?
“The last time we tried to launch the government quickly called curfew and this time they have used threats, but you can’t stop the will of the people.” He said.
Buhari also acknowledged the death of one of the protesters who died during the protest in Oyo state and promised that a thorough investigation will be done while also iterating that the now deceased Jimoh will get justice.