The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Wednesday released over 40 protesters, who were arrested by the joint security personnel at Unity Fountain for violating the COVID-19 health protocols.
The violating protesters were arrested and brought before FCT Mobile Court for prosecution.
However, Magistrate Idayat Akanni, who was to preside over the case, had several other cases in other courts and couldn’t sit.
Speaking on behalf of the FCT Ministerial Task Team on COVID-19, Comrade Ikharo Attah, said they can protest and still be alive and those enforcing will do the same and be alive. While urging them to conform with COVID-19 protocols for the good of all.
He said that the protesters violated the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 guidelines of social and physical distancing and most of them were seen without face masks.
He said; “About 40 of them have all been released and been tasked to always conform with COVID-19 whenever they are out to protest. You have the right to association, right to protest, a right to freedom of speech and expression but as you do all of this, you must always conform to COVID-19 health protocols.”
“The enforcement team went out in our normal routine operation and this time around and we made some arrest of some persons who came to protest and it is very clear that this is a democratic nation and everyone has the right to protest, to voice out, but this must be done within the rules that govern the country and one of such rules is to obey the issues of COVID-19, so they were brought to the Mobile Court in line with COVID-19 violations.
