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Entertainment writer and music journalist, Joey Akan has opposed the #OccupyLagos protest that is scheduled to take place at the Lekki Tollgate on Saturday, February 13.
After the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS related abuses and other matters to return control of the Lekki Toll Gate plaza to the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), several Nigerians, including celebrities, criticized the move, citing that justice has not been served on the perpetrators of the shootings on October 20, 2020.
Some displeased youths also took to Twitter to air their displeasure over the panel’s decision and threatened to stage a protest tagged #OccupyLekkiTollGate against the move.
However, #DefendLagos, a counter-rally staged to protest against the #OccupyLekkiTollGate is currently trending on Twitter. The poster of the counter-rally shared on social media showed that it is holding at the same venue and time as the one planned by the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters.
Speaking on the matter, Akan warned Nigerians, especially the poor, to stay at home as they will be the ones to bear the brunt of the protest.
“And let's be honest, na the poor people go die. Your elite protesters will sit at home. Me too, I will sit at home. Poor people will go out and die,” he said in one of the tweets.
The writer maintained that the victims of the Lekki shooting were mostly poor people and street touts who have no family that will seek justice for them.
“You know why them no find dead body of murdered protesters? Because na mostly Agbero and poor people, na dem die that night. Who dey find Agbero dead body? Who dey pursue justice for dead Agbero? Poor people no fit get justice. Talk too much, and they go kill you throway.”
See his tweets:
Call people's children out. They'll shoot them again, and you people will do nothing other than tweet aggressively.
And let's be honest, na the poor people go die. Your elite protesters will sit at home. Me too, I will sit at home. Poor people will go out and die.— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
The people wey bin ginger you before, how many of them got shot? How many of “our president” were in the line of fire? People don use una activism get status. Una go follow like sheep, go die.
— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
People go still use una death do PR. Advance their private causes.
Use your head.
Anybody wey no provide you with cover, or guarantee your safety, no be person wey you suppose follow.
— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
Una dey panel dey find dead body. Them na only their passport they seize.
But you go still carry yourself go protest. Mumu me twice, can’t put the blame on you.
I’ll rather serve crack than serve Nigeria.
— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
I’ll rather protest the rise in the price of Olosho services, than follow una go that toll gate.
People wey dey benefit from that protest, nobody shoot them.
— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
When they were killing poor youths, they were insulated in their rich homes, and can be smuggled out of the country.
You, your poor mother, who go follow cry or run around when you chop bullet? Who you be?
Big English dey sweet. Nobody speak big English pass me. But when bullet show, how many big English speakers follow una die?
No be poor people chop am? No be poor people bear the brunt? No be poor people die?
Who collect glory? The rich kids. Who flex the PR? The rich kids.— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
I conducted interviews with victims. People who escaped death, and had to escape Nigeria because they were about to be killed.
— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
But when I open Twitter, people wey lead protest dey do press runs. Dey win award. People wey die, don go. Their family don chop threat. Use your head.
Which influencer wey dey tweet been collect bullet? No be inside duvet they bin dey form heartbreak activism?
— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
AC been dey blow me when the army was killing poor and defenseless protesters. My room bin chill. I was comfortable while people died.
Not again. I no follow again.
You know why them no find dead body of murdered prostesters?
— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
Because na mostly Agbero and poor people, na dem die that night.
Who dey find Agbero dead body? Who dey pursue justice for dead Agbero?
Poor people no fit get justice. Talk too much, and they go kill you throway.
They're about to collect my phone. But I don offload my mind. Use your head. Love and light.
— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) February 8, 2021
Akan’s Tweet has generated mixed feelings as a particular set of people felt he was being a coward and has been paid to create disunity, while others applauded him for his well-thought-out tweet.
You can decide not to push for another protest.
— Mosimileoluwa. ? (@VeeQkween) February 9, 2021
But you don't cast aspersions on other people's motives who were very evidently dedicated and invested to the #EndSARS cause.
They are not mutually exclusive.
Also Joey Akan never talk everything wey dey Im mind.
Something is
Joey Akan x Segalink
— theUnSeriousPoet (@adedayo_agarau) February 9, 2021
Nah to dey write sentence wey poet no fit decipher full their head.
How do you optimize for Govt. ? without holding them accountable?
How much did they pay you bro...? https://t.co/wSoGYTquJQ
If Joey Akan and his government and celebrity friends had even anonymously shared that information with credible media outlets and SM influencers the eyes of the world would have been at the toll gates that evening. It may have prevented the massacre.
— Rafiki (@sprylyzzyzx) February 9, 2021
The summary of what Joey Akan said is "stay oppressed if you don't want to die untimely" ?
— Omo iya orobo (@sistermoyin) February 9, 2021
.
People wanted a better Nigeria, went out to protest, and were shot by their own military.
— Tonye Khan (@La_tonye) February 9, 2021
The conversation should be about holding the military to account and punishment.
Joey Akan's tweets are very insensitive and dishonors the memories of the dead.
Joey Akan tweet these morning is what I call 'The Epistle of Cowards'
— School Father? (@Victor_Alaketu) February 9, 2021
Nigeria bears the scars, blood and sweat of our founding fathers.
Most of them are not even alive today to see the Nigeria they fought so hard for and to now accept that some group of people are oppressors ?
i Don't like Joey Akan
— Oreoluwa | May Owoyele Stan (@trojcity) February 9, 2021
He's telling the truth.
I wept and almost entered a very dark place on the 21st morning.
If you don't agree with what Joey Akan has been tweeting, carry placard go protest for lekki toll gate on Saturday. Oloun awa pelu'e.
— T. ? (@1Sharose) February 9, 2021
Joey Akan is that prisoner in a prison movie that rats to the wardens about the escape plan of other prisoners and discourages them not to go because he has grown to love his cell and hates the fact that they still crave the warm caress of sunlight on their face.
— Sosa (@oluwa_sosa) February 9, 2021
Nahhhh. Joey Akan is talking plenty rubbish today and it's annoying to see. None of us could've prevented the deaths, but to lie and say those faces didn't bear any of the responsibilities for being the face of the movement is wrong. And he knows it. Why this blatant lie???
— Alusi Akụ (@Thia_Sparks) February 9, 2021
Why people dey attack Joey Akan.. He's saying what most people are too scared to say..
— Moby Dick ? (@iam_tonydot) February 9, 2021
All that Joey Akan said is true and 100% agree. If the protest organizers can’t guarantee your safety, better stay at home.
— XXIV (@LOPE_64) February 9, 2021
You’ll just perish, while they’ll go on to win awards and grants. They’ll not even acknowledge your death. Look at what happened in Lekki.
Words from Joey Akan that hit me the most:
— Temitope Ayanbisi (@AyanbisiAT) February 9, 2021
“People go still use una death do PR. Advance their private causes.”
I remember many people that used #EndSARS to get Twitter verification. Some got media recognition, while some got bullets
Some lost properties, some gained prosperity pic.twitter.com/0u8Dh9uB9K
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