#EndSARS: ‘Expect Return Of Physical Protests’ – Activist Tells FG 6 Months After Lekki Shooting
It has been six months since the #LekkiShooting incident during which Nigerian soldiers allegedly opened fire on peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State on October 20, 2020.
The protesters had come out to continue their demonstrations against police brutality, bad governance, and extortion by police operatives, amongst others, when the soldiers allegedly shot at and killed some of them.
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Ever since the incident, Nigerians set aside 20th of every month to post pictures, videos and testaments of how young Nigerians were allegedly killed by security operatives on social media.
On Tuesday, many Nigerians took to Twitter to recall the October 20, 2020, incident and are calling for justice to be served on the matter.
Although the protesters achieved their main objective which was the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force, one of the key #EndSARS campaigners, Rinu Oduala, has claimed that cases of “illegal activities of police officers, unjust detention and extortion on the street” are still rife.
Rinu, in a tweet on Tuesday, also warned that the #EndSARS protesters may resume physical protests should the government fail to serve justice to victims.
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“If these issues are not addressed & promptly treated, we can all look forward to another #EndSARS physical protests comeback. This is not a threat but a notification,” she tweeted.
A popular programmer, Michael Imoleayo, who was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) and reportedly detained for 41 days in an underground cell over his involvement in the protests, claims that he is still being hounded by security agents.
“I’M NOT A CRIMINAL! I only protested for the betterment of my fatherland. As a Programmer, I should be able to move around with my laptop without fear of being killed by SARS. After 41days in an underground cell, why is DSS still bent on convicting me over #EndSARS #FreeImoleAyo,” Imoleayo tweeted on Tuesday.
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Popular investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, also recalled how he and others had to engage the services of private security agency to rescue his friend on the night of Lekki shooting incident after he had spent 21 days in the den of kidnappers.
According to Soyombo, security operatives in Ekiti the state’s Commissioner of Police, showed no real-time support in the rescue of his friend.
Meanwhile, the #EndSARS protests were relatively peaceful before they were eventually hijacked by hoodlums. This further worsened insecurity across the country.
The country has yet to recover from the destruction of police stations across the country; depowering and killing of officers; carting away of riffles, sophisticated ammunition and jailbreaks among other post-EndSARS effects.
Despite complaints of inadequate funds, equipment and personnel in the Force, the trend of attacking police facilities especially in the South-East has posed more threat to the country’s peace.
