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In response to the appeal made by President Bola Tinubu during his nationwide broadcast on Sunday, August 4, 2023, protesters in Lagos have decided to end demonstrations and embrace dialogue.
This is according to a post on the X account of Jubril Gawat, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on New Media.
Gawat said the protesters have also informed the police of their decision to discontinue the demonstrations and disperse from the protest ground.
The Lagos protesters have been converging at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in the Ojota area of the state since last Thursday.
Freedom Park is one of the two locations protesters have been restricted to by a court order secured by the Lagos State government last week. The other location is Peace Park in Ketu.
At the resumption of activities on Sunday, leaders of the protest engaged the police team on the ground in a conversation, announcing their intention to leave the streets after the President's plea.
"Protest leaders at Ojota have called off their demonstrations after the President’s broadcast this morning. They told the police they would leave the protest ground and disperse," Gawat's post read.
Tinubu acknowledges protesters' concerns
During the early Sunday morning speech, Tinubu said he had heard the demands of the protesters "loud and clear" and understood their pain and frustration.
However, he cautioned against creating a window for chaos and violence to tear the country apart.
"My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens.
"But we must not let violence and destruction tear our nation apart. We must work together to build a brighter future, where every Nigerian can live with dignity and prosperity," he said.