Iyobosa Uwugiaren and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja; Chiemelie Ezeobi, Segun James, Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie in Lagos; Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt; Fidelis David in Akure; Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba; and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The youth of the nation made good their threat to hold memorial marches yesterday commemorating those who died during the nationwide anti-police brutality protests last year. This was despite warnings by the Nigeria Police that marches to mark the one year anniversary of the #EndSARs protest would not be condoned.
As the memorial rallies held in some states yesterday, the National Economic Council (NEC) directed state governors to forward final reports of the panels of inquiry into the protests to their Attorneys-General for prompt arraignment and prosecution of the indicted persons.
In Lagos State, youths gathered at the Lekki tollgate to mark the EndSARs anniversary. But the rally was marred by police brutality and clampdown on journalists covering the peaceful event.
In Abuja, security operatives acting on the order of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, pushed a procession to the National Assembly complex back.
But Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, inaugurated a Committee for the Protection of Human Rights in the state with an appeal for more citizen participation in peace and nation building.
In Rivers State, over 200 youths staged a candlelight procession at the popular Waterline junction in Port Harcourt.
Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, who revealed the decision of NEC in Abuja, during a media briefing, also accused those he labelled “champions of a massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate,” including Amnesty International and CNN, of holding on to “their unproven stand.”
The federal government said where incidents in the inquests related to matters of discipline, in addition to prosecution, NEC had urged the Nigeria Police to take disciplinary action against the affected officers in line with the provisions of the Police Act 2020.
Mohammed spoke on measures that had been taken to improve the efficiency of the police and other security agencies’ architecture. He explained that NEC had called on the leadership of the security agencies to ensure that persons recruited into arms-bearing security organs underwent psychiatric evaluation and drug test before enlistment.
He also said personnel of the agencies had been advised to dutifully observe rules of engagement in the discharge of their duties.
While acknowledging the various initiatives introduced by the federal government to strengthen police accountability through the Police Service Commission, the minister said the council had urged the government to prioritise the general welfare of security agencies.
“In particular, it advocated the review of pension and gratuity of retired police officers and attainment of parity of remuneration by police officers with sister security agencies,” he stated.
Mohammed also said the council advised the government to “undertake a comprehensive assessment of all police stations across the country with a view to ensuring that they are fit for purpose.
“Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies should deploy cutting-edge technology in the fight against crimes.”
The council also urged the police to ensure that all those detained as a result of the #EndSars protests were expeditiously processed with due regard to the principles of fair hearing.
However, the federal government maintained its stance that there were no evidence of massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate a year ago.
The minister stated, “Today marks the first anniversary of the phantom massacre at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, which was the culmination of an otherwise peaceful protest that was later hijacked by hoodlums.
“At earlier press conferences, I had called the reported massacre at the toll gate the farce. On Monday, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry that was set up by the Lagos State Government after the #EndSARS protest wrapped up its sitting.
“During the sitting, CNN was summoned but it never showed up, thus, missing a great opportunity to prove its allegation of massacre at the toll gate. Also, Amnesty International had a golden opportunity to convince the world, but it rather opted for issuing meaningless press releases.”
Mohammed claimed that in its latest attempt to grasp at straws and, “redeem whatever is left of its battered credibility on this issue, CNN has continued with its baseless report that soldiers shot at protesters.
“In a report currently running on the network, CNN brazenly and unashamedly held on to its flawed narrative, relying on an unidentified mother whose son was reportedly shot dead at Lekki, but without convincing evidence of who shot him dead.”
The minister said the federal government remained proud of the security agencies for acting professionally and showing utmost restraint all through the #EndSARS protest and the ensuing violence, an action he said saved lives and property.
Police Clampdown on Journalists, Brutalise Protesters in Lagos
Meanwhile, in Lagos, Nigeria Police officers, who ignored warnings to abide by the rules of engagement, unleashed violence on peaceful protesters, passers-by, and even journalists deployed to cover the commemoration.
The operatives from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the state taskforce were seen assaulting people gathered at the tollgate, as well as road users.
Those who bore the brunt of yesterday’s crude actions by the Nigeria Police in Lagos included an Uber driver, Clement Adedotun; Arise Television crew; an online reporter, Bisola Alawode, and another lady simply identified as Blessing.
The police also forced many at the rally into their waiting Black Maria after using tear gas at close proximity to spray their faces.
The security operatives, comprising the RRS, Taskforce and Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), had brutalised and arrested Alawode and a lone protester before whisking them away to an unknown destination.
Attempts by protesters to resist arrest were met by more force by the security operatives.
The Uber driver, whose torture video went viral, said he had a passenger in his cab when they heard gunshots.
He said, “I abandoned my vehicle and fled. The passenger ran as well. When the situation calmed down, I returned to take my vehicle but couldn’t find it.
“I asked questions around where I had left the vehicle and I was told to go and meet the security operatives because they towed vehicles off. That was how I came here and the next thing they started forcing me into this truck.
“I cannot enter it because I am not a thief. No member of my family has ever entered it. It won’t be me that will enter. I did not do anything. I am not even a protester.”
Prior to the acts of brutality, the youths led by Music Star, Folarin Falana, alias Falz, and Comedian Adebowale Adedayo (Mr. Macaroni), were in their vehicles waving the Nigerian flag and chanting #ENDSARS as they drove through the tollgate repeatedly.
However, things turned violent when the procession was about to end. While some dropped off their flags, others refused to vacate, thereby causing traffic congestion.
The police were said to have blocked off the tollgate and diverted traffic before they used teargas to disperse the crowd, while vehicles parked on the road were towed away and the tollgate reopened.
In the ensuing melee, it was alleged that a thug stabbed a Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps official and fled, while the operatives arrested some persons with cutlass, hammers and charms at the venue.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, got those wrongfully arrested freed, just as he tendered public apology to those who were brutalised.
Addressing journalists at the scene, Odumosu said the security operatives had to use minimal force when they discovered that miscreants had infiltrated the crowd.
“No one stopped the car procession. I told them that no one would harass them as long as they do not obstruct traffic because this is a business area and not a park or garden. They were free to have their banners, stickers on their cars and drive pass as many times as they wanted to, which they did.
“I put a call across to one of the organisers to know if they were done and he said yes, that they were through and on their way. I asked if it was true they had another event at Alausa and were going there but he said no, that they had dispersed.
“So, you can see that the protesters who have leaders have concluded their exercise and left. These ones who came to block the road now are not known. They do not have leaders and are not organised. That is not to say they cannot protest since peaceful protest is the right of every Nigerian.
“What we will not allow is disruption of movement or the infringement on the rights of others because where one person’s right stops, another’s starts. Now, you can see we have arrested some of them with weapons. Are those protesters?
The youths said they were angry with the Lagos State government for trying to stop yesterday’s protest, saying it amounts to gross violation of their human rights.
But the Lagos State government denied the allegation of trying to stop protesters.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho, said the governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had no control over police activities in Lagos, and could not order the police to stop any protest in the state. The Lagos State Police Commissioner reports directly to the Inspector General of Police in Abuja and not to the Lagos State government.
Omotosho spoke yesterday on “The Morning Show”, an ARISE NEWS Channel programme, alongside the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Atedo Peterside, as well as a lawyer and civil rights advocate, Mr. Inibehe Effiong. The information commissioner said different agitations coming from Lagos and other parts of the country since the #EndSARs protest last year had tended to divide the people of the state.
He called for peace, unity and understanding among Lagos youth and, by extension, Nigerian youth, adding that the youth need to collaborate with government to build the country and not disrupt activities and destroy the common wealth of the country.
Omotosho said, “Lagos State Government encourages freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest. I was with the Lagos State Governor three days ago, when he made a call to the owner of Landmark Centre, when #EndSars youths visited him, to complain about how the management of Landmark Centre suddenly reneged on an earlier agreement they had reached with them to use the centre for the one year remembrance of #EndSars protest.
“During the telephone conversation between the governor and the owner of Landmark Centre, which I recorded, the owner of Landmark Centre denied getting any instruction from Lagos government to decline the commercial request of the youths to use the centre for their protest. He told the governor that the decision was taken by the management to save lives and property and that it was a pure business decision.
“So it is wrong for anybody to think that Lagos State government must have instructed the managers of Landmark Centre to stop the youths from using the venue for their protest.”
Asked why protesters were arrested and journalists were rough handled and their drones and cameras seized by the police during yesterday’s protest in Lagos, Omotosho said, “Lagos State governor did not ask the police to stop any protest and arrest protesters and seize the working tools of journalists covering the protest. “
Worried by the action of the police during the protest, Effiong accused the government of insensitivity to the challenges of the people.
He said, “The police cannot deviate in their role to protect the rights of the protesters. Civilians laid down their lives for Nigeria’s democracy when they confronted the military years back and we cannot have a Commissioner of Police in Lagos who will not give instructions to the police to protect peaceful protesters.
“If Governor Sanwo-Olu cannot compel the Lagos State Police Commissioner to respect the rights of the people, the governor must write to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Police Service Commission and request the redeployment of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police. Until he has done that, the governor must take full responsibility of the violations of Lagos youths, the harassment of journalists in Lagos and the continued disdain to the rule of law and democracy in Lagos.”
On his part, Peterside advised the youth to unite in fighting their course and choose leaders among them who would represent them to dialogue with government in pushing their demands.
“The best way to bring about change in a country is through dialogue and there must be leaders who are willing and able to dialogue with government,” Peterside said.
