Memorial Procession, Prayers For Fuel Subsidy Victims To Hold In Lagos

Forty days after the beginning of Nigeria’s biggest street protests and strikes against the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, activists, yesterday, announced that they will proceed to Gani Park at Ojota, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, to remember and pray for those who were murdered during the demonstrations.

At a press conference yesterday in Lagos, the Joint Action Forum, JAF, the Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja and Lagos branches, the Medical Association of Lagos State and some religious groups, announced that a procession and prayers will take place in the state on Saturday, 18 February.

The procession will start from the Nigeria Labour Congress House at Yaba, and end at the Gani Park at Ojota, the epicenter of the protests against President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to remove fuel subsidy on 1 January 2012.

“We decided to honour and remember the fallen heroes forty days after the beginning of the protests because of the African tradition and culture,” Comrade Abiodun Aremu, JAF General Secretary, said at the conference.
Comrade Achike Chude, JAF Vice Chairman, who read the prepared press statement, thanked Nigerians for

“their patriotic show of commitment” during the protests.

“JAF has concluded plans to organise a political memorial in honour of those killed and injured by armed personnel in the course of the popular struggle of 9 January to 16 January 2012 for the reversal of the fuel price hike,” he said.

“JAF is doing this in collaboration with religious groups and professional bodies, in particular, the NBA, the NMA,” Chude added.
The activists, however, admitted that they did not know how many people were affected during the protests and are not even in contact with the families of the victims.

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