The Public Forum on Economic Justice was supposed to be a celebration.
Organized by a coalition of reformist groups, it was designed to showcase the growing movement for transparency and fairness in Lagos's economic policies. Elian had been invited as the keynote speaker—a recognition of his rising influence and the respect he had earned through months of quiet, persistent work.
The venue was the Liberty Hall in Yaba, a historic building that had hosted generations of activists, thinkers, and change-makers. By 6 PM, the hall was full—market women, street traders, students, professionals, even a few council members who wanted to be seen on the right side of history. Samuel estimated the crowd at over two thousand, with hundreds more gathered outside, listening through speakers mounted on
