PHOTOS: Hoodlums remove Awolowo’s glasses from his statue in Lagos

Sade AdewaleOctober 27, 2020

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Following the chaotic looting of valuable items continuously done by many hoodlums across the country and seven days after the Lagos government declared a curfew to curb the looting and destruction across the state, the glasses on the Obafemi Awolowo’s statue in Ikeja are still missing.

Reports reveal that the statue of the late Obafemi Awolowo’s statue has been defaced as his iconic glasses have been taken away.

Hoodlums had hijacked the #EndSARS protests in the state, unleashing violence on residents and destroying public and private properties.

Vehicles, automated teller machines, traffic lights were vandalised, and not even Awolowo’s statue was spared during the looting, as his pair of glasses are yet to be found.

Awolowo, the premier of the western region from 1954 to 1960, is known for his unique round-shaped glasses.

The 20-feet statue of the statesman was erected during the administration of former Lagos governor Akinwumi Ambode in recognition and honour of his contribution to Nigeria’s independence and democracy.

Akinwunmi Ambode, former governor of Lagos, in September 2017, unveiled the 20-feet statue located on Obafemi Awolowo Way close to the Lagos Television (LTV) junction in Ikeja.

According to the immediate past Lagos state governor Ambode, the statue’s whose round glasses have been removed was is meant to be a constant reminder to all of us and future generations of the need to value the sacrifice of our heroes and strive to uphold and promote the ideals which they stood for.

However, due to the ongoing crisis, seems like the hoodlums have decided on targeting the statues of prominent personalities as an earlier report confirmed the destruction of the Nnamdi Azikwe monument in Anambra state.

See photos of the defaced statue: