Police arrest journalists, others in Lagos over fuel protest

By Ifeoma Ikem

There was pandemonium at Western avenue Surulere area,of Lagos state today when team of policemen storm the peaceful protest and disrupted the plan organise by joint civil groups who where protesting the recent hike in petrol and increase in electricity tariff.

During the raid by the policemen from the Area C command some journalists were arrested along side the organisers.

Among the few media houses arrested by police include media crew from Galaxy television and a reporters from the Premium Times.

Those present at the protest include Socialist party of Nigeria and Social Democratic Movement among others.

Most of the hand bills given to journalists read: reject fuel price hike,electricity tariff and undemocratic reregistration political parties.

Part of the statement by the socialist party of Nigeria (SPN) calls on the mass of the working people to reject in its entirety the recent increase of fuel price and electricity tariff by the president Buhari led administration.

“There has been legitimate mass anger among the working people over the increase of price of petrol from N148 to about N158/N162 per litre considering the damaging economic effect it has on living standard.

As a major oil and gas producing country, the Nigerian capitalist government is managing the oil wealth to suit the profit interest of a privileged few while the masses are made to suffer.

This is the reason the government is implementing deregulation and the continuous petrol price increase that comes with it.

According to one of them,Comrade Rufus Olusesan during the protest said,the present Buhuari administration have deceived Nigerians no refinery is working in the country and subsidy were not removed as claimed by the government.

He noted that the civil society organizations (CSO) we continued to engage the government and ensure the system must be change .

He Further call on workers,youth and the poor masses to join us to demand that INEC obey the court of Appeal judgment without delay and be guided by democratic ethos

Going forward, we need mass actions to defeat the agenda of INEC and the government and the only way to achieve it is to get organized politically. We challenge every protester marching against the hike in fuel price and electricity tariff to join the SPN .