Scores of youths, including celebrities have today been participating in the #ENDSARS memorial parade at strategic locations in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu.
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| #EndSARS Anniversary: Celebrities, Youths Hold Memorial Procession At Lekki Tollgate, Abuja, Enugu |
Celebrities and youths on Wednesday held a memorial car procession at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos State.
As earlier as 8am, Scores of young Nigerians, alongside the celebrity duo, filled up several cars and buses, blaring horns as they drove through the toll plaza.
The parade announced by rapper Falz and comedian Mr Macaroni took place amid heavy security presence to commemorate the one year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests that led to the disbandment of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police.
Folarin Falana aka Falz, Nigerian rapper, songwriter and actor joined protester’s in remembering those that allegedly died last year during endsars protests.
He wrote vie his twitter: “365 days ago, Nigerian citizens were shot and killed at the toll gate by our own military men.
“Today, we honour them because they have sacrificed their very existence for a cause bigger than all of us. They live forever in our hearts.”
While the parade was in progress, officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) controlled vehicular traffic to ensure free flow. LSNC officials and armed policemen were at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2021 apparently to ensure peace and order.
Meanwhile, there was an altercation between some members of the press and the security officials after the journalists were harassed by the police at the venue.
Two persons were arrested by the police. One of them was picked up by armed security operatives while he was having a chat with reporters.
One of the arrested persons said he did nothing.
“I did not do anything,” said the young man before his arrest. “They beat me, they collected my phone, they took my money; the police have not learnt their lessons.”
Both men were arrested by the police in the Lekki area of Lagos State on October 20, 2021.
The arrested persons were later taken into a waiting truck of the Lagos State Task Force, after which the vehicle zoomed off.
But the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Hakeem Odumosu, who was also at the venue, said the police did not disperse the youths taking part in the procession.
Rather, he stated that the security operatives fired tear gas to disperse those he described as miscreants at the venue.
As the event continued, the number of youths at the venue grew while others came down from their cars, chanting solidarity songs.
Ahead of the anniversary, police authorities in Lagos had threatened to resist any form of protest and arrest anyone taking part in it.
This led to the decision of the youths to organise a memorial procession rather than a protest, although they maintained their call for an end to police brutality.
ABUJA, ENUGU anniversary parades:
In Abuja and Enugu, protesters were said to have stormed major streets, carrying different placards and shouting #Endsars and police brutality in Nigeria.
Some of the inscriptions on their placards include: “We will never forget 20-10-20”, “Endsars”, End Police Brutality and others.
In Abuja, Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the Africa Action Congress, AAC, and founder of an online news agency Sahara Reporters, was seen campaigning against police brutality.
The five-point demand by #ENDSARS 2020 yet to yield expected change in police conduct:
Without a central leadership structure coordinating the protests in different parts of the country in 2020, the street demonstrations continued with the agitators widening their requests which came down to a five-point demand.
The demands included compensations for the families of those who died under police brutality, the release of arrested protesters and an increase in the salaries and allowances of police officers.
Protesters also demanded that an independent body be set up to investigate allegations of police misconduct and to prosecute those indicted. They also called for the psychological evaluation of officers of the disbanded SARS before they are redeployed into other units.
As Nigerian youths mark the anniversary of the #EndSars protests, these five count demands cannot be said to be fully implemented as the desired changes in police conduct and stoppage to police brutality are yet to be realized.
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