#EndSARS 4th anniversary: Police arrest 17, fire tear gas to disperse protesters at Lekki toll gate
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Officers of the Lagos State Police Command have fired teargas to disperse protesters rallying to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protest.
Videos seen on Sunday morning showed protesters fleeing as the police fired shots.
According to AIT, no fewer than 17 Endsars protesters who converged on LEKKI Toll gate were arrested by Security Operatives.
The security operatives including some soldiers from nearby 81st Division were sighted by AIT crew Early Sunday as they took strategic positions around the Lekki Toll Gate axis.
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.
In October 2020, thousands of youths gathered in major cities across the country to protest against the constant harassment, killings, and extortion by officers of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigerian police.
The protest culminated at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, where several youths were killed and many others severely injured following the intervention of the Nigerian military.
In the aftermath of the protests, judicial panels were established across various states to assess and review the protesters’ demands.
However, almost four years later, protest leaders have expressed deep regret that many of the panels’ recommendations remain unimplemented.
Speaking 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 started firing teargas at us. I fell into the gutter; I was hit on the head,” he told PUNCH Online.
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.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that there was no confrontation, but the police had to disperse the protesters 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 said.
Meanwhile, a civil society group, The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned the use of teargas and arrest of some of the protesters, saying rights of Nigerians are easily being violated in Tinubu’s Government
RULAAC condemned the arrest, brutalization, and detention of peaceful protesters commemorating the anniversary of the Lekki Tollgate massacre on October 20, 2024.
A statement by RULAAC’s executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the arrest of the #EndSARS memorial protesters raise serious concerns about the government’s violation of citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly.
Nwanguma wondered why the police would brutalise and arrest the #EndSARS memorial protesters trying to honour victims of #EndSARS and advocate for justice and reforms in the security sector.
He added: “The authorities’ response reflects an alarming trend of suppressing citizens’ rights and activism regarding police brutality and governance in Nigeria.
“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 offenses have been committed.
“RULAAC calls for the immediate release of all arrested protesters and urges the government to respect citizens’ rights, ensuring accountability for law enforcement agents who violate these rights and abuse their power.”
In the meantime, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos state, Mr Olanrewaju Ishola, has ordered the release of all detained persons in connection with #ENDSARS 4th anniversary at Lekki-Tollgate.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement on his X handle .
Hundeyin, however, did not mention how many persons were detained.
“All protesters in our custody have been released.
“CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on ground at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), to personally see to that,” he said.
However, in its reaction, Amnesty International Nigeria said it has 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 human rights group called on the Nigerian government to address human rights violations by the Police, which they noted continued to embolden impunity and leave Nigerians vulnerable to the same violations that triggered the #EndSARS protests in 2020.
Isa Sanusi, Country Director, Amnesty International Nigeria 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.
“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.
“The Nigerian authorities’ promises of addressing human rights violations by the police must be fulfilled to meet the country’s obligations under Nigerian and International law. All atrocities before and after #EndSARS protests must be investigated and suspected perpetrators brought to justice.”
