#EndSARS memorial: Amnesty, activists tackle police over harassment of protesters

H Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and activists, have tackled the Nigeria Police Force over the alleged harassment of protesters commemorating the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protest.

About 23 activists who gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protest were reported to have been arrested by the police.

The activists, including three females, were first dispersed by teargas fired by policemen before being rounded up and bundled into an awaiting Black Maria, which transported them to Panti Police Station, Yaba, where they were detained, according to eyewitnesses.

Videos seen by The PUNCH on Sunday morning showed protesters fleeing as the police fired shots at the toll gate.

The protesters had converged around 8:30 am at the toll gate with several banners and placards, calling for the full implementation of the reports submitted by various judicial panels of inquiry set up after the 2020 protests.

The #EndSARS protest started on October 1, 2020, and saw youths demonstrating against persistent police misconduct, including killings, brutality, harassment, extortion, and intimidation, particularly by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The protest lasted for days and culminated at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on October 20, where soldiers reportedly killed several youths.

Though the government denied the killings, many youths and other individuals insisted that the military was responsible, leading to annual commemorations by activists.

Speaking with one of our correspondents on Sunday, one of the protesters, identified simply as Excel, said he fell into the gutter while running from the teargas fired by the officers.

“They have started firing teargas at us. I fell into the gutter; I was hit on the head,” he said.

Another protester, Bayo Are, said, “I was hit too. I’m not really injured, just a few scratches on my body. Some people have also been arrested.”

Speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday, one of the arrested activists, Olawale Doroorike, said they were arrested immediately after disembarking from their bus.

According to him, the heavily armed police officers teargassed, beat, and bundled them into the Black Maria.

He said, “We are currently being detained at Panti Police Station in Yaba, waiting for our lawyers. Twenty-three of us were arrested at Lekki Toll Gate where we were to commemorate the fourth anniversary of our comrades killed during the #EndSARS protest on October 20, 2020.”

“We arrived at the toll gate around 10 or 10:30 am. As soon as we disembarked from our bus, fully armed police officers rushed at us, fired teargas, beat us, and pushed us into the Black Maria.”

The Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Movement, Peluola Adewale, gave the names of the arrested activists as “Hassan Taiwo (Soweto), Ilesanmi Kehinde, Uadiale Kingsley, Osopale Adeseye, Olamilekan Sanusi, Osugba Blessing, Kayode Anaheim, Michael Adedeji, Jennifer Obiora, Orunsolu Oluremi (Renyte Goonz), and Prof Seyi Akinde.”

Others include “Akin Okunowon, Ugochukwu Prince, Aishat Omolara, Thomas Olamide, Ogbu Obinna, Aghedo Stephen, Duroorike Olawale, Isaac Obasi, Funmilayo Ajayi, Gideon Adeyeni, and Afeez Suleiman.”

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, while defending the dispersal of the protesters said the police had to prevent traffic disruption at the Lekki Toll Gate.

“They were told to disperse, but they were adamant; we had to use minimal force to disperse them,” Hundeyin told The PUNCH.

Hundeyin confirmed later in a post on X.com on Sunday afternoon that the arrested protesters had been released.

“All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on the ground at the SCID to personally see to that,” the PPRO wrote.

The National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, condemned the arrest of the protesters.

“The continuous harassment, arrest and detention of protesters were exactly part of the reasons for the #ENDSARS protest in 2020.

“It is clear that even four years after the historic action, the police and the government giving them orders have not changed. We will reject this tyranny and resist every attempt to shrink the Nigerian civic space,” the activist said in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday.

Also, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre “strongly condemned the arrest, brutalisation, and detention of peaceful protesters commemorating the anniversary of the Lekki Tollgate massacre on October 20, 2024.”

In a Sunday statement, RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, noted that the protest served as a vital memorial event to honour victims and advocate justice and reforms in the security sector.

“As legitimate expressions of free speech and assembly, these peaceful protests should be protected under democratic principles. The use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrators is undemocratic and unjustified, especially as no offences have been committed,” Nwanguma stated.

Prominent human rights organisation, Amnesty International, Nigeria chapter, said it had continued to receive reports of human rights abuse, including unlawful detention, extortion, torture, and sexual violence by the Nigeria Police, four years after the October 2020 #EndSARS protest.

In a statement on Sunday, the Country Director, Isa Sanusi, said, “Amnesty International continues to receive – almost daily – reports of human rights violations by the police across Nigeria, including unlawful detention, extortion, torture, sexual violence and in some cases extrajudicial execution.”

Sanusi added, “The Nigerian authorities still have the opportunity to reform the police and make it an institution with zero tolerance for human rights violations. The opportunity must not be allowed to slip away by the failure to hold the police to account for human rights violations. Gradually, we are returning to the horrific pre-EndSARS days when the police behave as if they have the carte blanche to violate human rights.”

In a chat, the National Coordinator of the Youths Rights Campaign, Michael Adaramoye, also condemned the “vicious attack on activists and protesters” which he noted, “has characterised the police force and is condemnable.”