Residents protest at Lagos Assembly over detention of community leader, Hammed Tajudeen

On Monday, a civil society group stormed the Lagos Assembly with placards, calling for the release of the community leader.

The protesters petitioned the Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, expressing concerns over the continuous detention of Akanbi and urging the authorities to “uphold the principles of justice, fairness and the rule of law”.

The group marched from Ikeja Shopping Mall to the State House of Assembly to deliver the letter.

According to them, investigations had allegedly failed to establish a direct connection between Akanbi and the murders, linking the matter to “disputes over community land and the distribution of proceeds from such lands”.

Copies of the petition were sent to the Governor of Lagos State, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission.

The CSO warned that if action is not taken within three days of receipt of the letter, it would embark on sustained street protests to press its demands.

Akanbi was apprehended in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on April 15, following the ongoing investigation into the murder cases.