Lagos: Police cancel Egungun festival in Oregun amid concern for public safety

The Lagos police command has ordered the suspension of an Egungun festival in the Oregun area of the state due to public safety concerns.

The command also apprehended 12 suspects linked to the circulation of posters and social media posts warning residents against free movement in the area during the festival.

The command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday. The police described the publications as lawless acts capable of inciting fear and restricting citizens’ liberty.

“The materials warned residents and attempted to impose unauthorised movement restrictions ahead of the Oregun traditional Egungun festival scheduled for November 27 and 28,” said the command.

According to the statement, no group has the authority to take the law into its own hands or curtail the rights of others.

It said that the command had assessed the tension and anxiety generated among residents following the circulation of the materials and concluded that allowing the festival to proceed would pose significant security risks.

“No festival that can risk destabilising the peace or heightening tension in the state will be permitted under any circumstances,” said the police.

The command said that there was a similar incident at Mafoluku, Oshodi, where 12 suspects were apprehended on November 23 after issuing similar publications aimed at disrupting public peace and the protection of life and property.

“Those suspects remain under investigation and will be prosecuted upon completion of the inquiry,” it said.

Meanwhile, police commissioner Olohundare Jimoh has ordered the immediate suspension of the festival, citing its potential to disturb public peace, safety, and order.

“CP Jimoh reiterated that the group must desist from holding the festival, noting that security for the event can no longer be guaranteed. He said the fear and discomfort already inflicted on residents were unacceptable and warned that anyone attempting to undermine the peace and stability in the state would face the full weight of the law,” added the statement.

The command urged residents to continue their lawful activities without fear and encouraged the public to report suspicious movements through its emergency numbers: 08063299264, 09053872208, 07061019374, and 08065154338.

(NAN)