Senior lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Inspector-General of Police to arrest and prosecute police personnel who allegedly violently disrupted a peaceful rally by pensioners at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State.
Falana, in a statement titled, “IGP MUST ARREST AND PROSECUTE THE POLICE PERSONNEL WHO VIOLENTLY DISRUPTED THE PEACEFUL RALLY OF PENSIONERS,” said the disruption violated the constitutional rights of the protesters to assemble and protest against government policies.
Citing the Court of Appeal judgment in Inspector General of Police v All Nigerian People Party (2008) 12 WRN 65, Falana said the court affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court which annulled police permits for rallies in Nigeria.
According to him, Adekeye JCA, as she then was, held that: “A rally or placard carrying demonstration has become a form of expression of views on current issues affecting government and the governed in a sovereign state. It is a tread recognized and deeply entrenched in the system of governance in civilized countries – it will not only be primitive but also retrogressive if Nigeria continues to require a pass to hold a rally. We must borrow a leaf from those who have trekked the rugged path of democracy and are now reaping the dividend of their experience.”
