Men of the Nigeria Police Force stationed in and around the Lekki Toll Plaza are arresting protesters in clusters before the kick-off of the protest, some of the protesters have told FIJ.

Since Friday, police officers armed to teeth had surounded the Lekki Toll Plaza and other parts of Lagos where protests were expected to hold on Saturday.

The Rapid Response, Lagos State Police Command, had also said CSP Yinka Egbeyemi was “leading a team of police officers on a show of force to Lekki Toll Gate, Obalende, Ikoyi, Jakande Roundabout, and other areas in Eti Osa as part of efforts to deter crime as well as boost the morale of his officers in the areas”.

On Saturday, one of the leaders of the protest said unarmed civilians were being picked up by the police. FIJ confirmed that a cluster of more than 10 people were picked up before they had even started protesting

“We have been arrested. Look at us,” a protester said in a video sent to FIJ. “We are all in Black Maria now. Over 10 of us.”

One of the protest leaders added: “What they are doing is that as people gather in their numbers, they pick them and move them away so that other people will not be alarmed.”

The federal and Lagos State governments made a number of statements earlier in the week regarding their opposition to the protest.