Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and various activists, have confronted the Nigeria Police Force over the alleged harassment of protesters marking 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 NIGPOST 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; there are 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.”
