The Lagos State police command has urged civil society organisations planning to embark on a protest to make June 12 Democracy Day to ensure it is not hijacked by hoodlums.

Leadership of the fifteen civil society organisations, on Wednesday, held a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, ahead of the planned protest.

Spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement, said the meeting was centered around ensuring the demonstration does not infringe the rights of other citizens’ freedom of movement, and is not infiltrated by thugs, thereby becoming violent.

The statement read, “The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Olohundare Jimoh, few hours ago held a meeting in his office with the leaderships of Fifteen (15) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Lagos State to discuss the Democracy Day celebration and planned protests by some CSOs tomorrow 12th June, 2025.

“The meeting was interactive throughout between the Police team led by the Commissioner of Police and the Civil Society Groups. It was agreed that all the groups must ensure concern for public safety and security in their activities and conducts during the June 12 celebration tomorrow,” it noted.

According to the police, half of the CSOs confirmed that they will be celebrating Democracy Day with Nigerians, while the remaining half affirmed they will be embarking on a peaceful protest in an orderly manner without disturbance of public peace and safety tomorrow.

“All protesting groups agreed to converge on Ikeja Under-Bridge simultaneously and jointly proceed to Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota to protest. It was also agreed that no protest will take place anywhere else except at the only designated place at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota. The dialogue and discussion at the meeting equally dwelt on maintaining peace, law and order during the event of the June 12 Celebration tomorrow,” Mr Hundeyin explained.

He said the 15 CSOs leadership that attended the meeting include: Akintunde Adedeji (Access to Advocacy & Rights of People), Omokehinde Agbede (Center for Indigene Government Group), Elijah Ajamu-Ojo (Ideal him Society Advocacy Groups), Buna Olaitan Isaia (Human Right Monitor), Festus Ojotoro (Human Right Monitor), Kehinde Adeoye (Committee for the Defence of Human Rights), and Adebanjo Adeleke (Beko Ransome Kuti).

Others are Falola O. Olurotimi (Rights Kline), Isa Oyetunji (Committee for the Defence of Human Rights), Gbenga Ganzallo (Community Development Group), Lasisi Abiodun, Ibrahim Oluwatobi, Adetunji Oluwatoyin (Committee for the Defence of Human Rights), Agbodemu I. Musbau, CSO Lagos Mainland LGA and the representative of Initiatives for Development and Advocacy.

The police said the CSOs assured that they will communicate the outcome of the meeting and the resolutions reached to other CSOs absent to ensure widespread compliance, adding that the command said the meeting emphasised the importance of adhering to security measures to protect lives and property across the state.

“All CSOs were urged to ensure that the protest remained peaceful and was not hijacked by hoodlums and miscreants to cause mayhem or chaos in the State. Furthermore, they were advised not to disrupt free flow of traffic, public peace, law and order, so as to enable millions of other well-meaning Nigerians to celebrate Democracy Day freely without hindrance,” the police advised.

The command, while reaffirming commitment to providing security for Nigerians that will be celebrating Democracy Day, enjoined the public to be peaceful, law-abiding, and uphold the peace currently enjoyed in the state.

“The command appreciates the cooperation of the CSOs and calls on all residents of the State to go out and celebrate the June 12 Democracy Day tomorrow without fear or apprehension and go about their means of livelihood peacefully,” it added.