Do you remember the #ENDSARSMEMORIAL procession that was supposed to happen today 20th October at Lekki toll gate to mark the one-year anniversary of the killings by the Nigerian soldiers in 2020?
Well, as much as we want to believe that the security agencies learned their lessons, I guess that is not the case. instead of allowing the peaceful procession, they had to fire tear gas at protesters again.
The Youth gathered at the Lekki toll gate to commemorate the first anniversary of the bloody national #EndSARS protests last year.
The report has it that the Lagos State Police Department officers arrested two protesters.
One of those arrested was a Legit.ng journalist, the other was wearing a sign #ENDSARSMEMORIAL.
Remember that the Lagos State government and police previously warned young people who were about to demonstrate at the Lekki toll gate on Wednesday (today) to reconsider and suspend the protests.
But young Nigerians, under the aegis of the #EndSARSMemorial, have vowed to defy police orders.
The # EndSARS protests had spread across the country in October 2020 to register complaints from young people about alleged atrocities by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police (NPF).
The protest, which attracted widespread international attention, stalled on October 20, 2020, when heavily armed soldiers reportedly shot demonstrators at the Lekki toll gate.
The Lagos State Commission of Inquiry into the alleged killing of # EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki toll booth approved the toll booth to reopen after about four months of investigating the Lekki shootings.
The facility has been closed since the investigation into the shootings began.
Meanwhile, from the table of the former Senate spokesman Bukola Saraki has tasked the federal government with initiating reforms in the police and justice sectors across the country.
The former Kwara state governor called it "regrettable" that governments at all levels have still not learned a lesson.
Saraki, who said so on the first anniversary of Lekki's toll shelling against # EndSARS protesters, urged Nigerians to reflect on the lessons of the protests against brutality and abuse by the police.
The 8th Senate, chaired by Saraki, passed an anti-torture law in 2017.
“My thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives, loved ones, sustained injuries, or sustained other losses at the Lekki Toll Gate and at various locations in Lagos and around the country when security agencies were deployed to clamp down on the protests and non-state actors took advantage to cause chaos and mayhem.
He said; “It is worrying that despite the adoption of the '5 for 5 demands', nothing has really been done to address the problems that sparked the protests in the first place.
"None of the police officers accused of extrajudicial torture and murder of Nigerian citizens have been brought to justice, there has been no significant improvement in funding or the quality of the equipment made available to the Nigerian police, and the acts of torture continue in the various Security agency facilities nationwide.
“In addition, none of the perpetrators of the attacks on Nigerians who exercised their right to a peaceful protest were arrested or prosecuted, although many have been identified.
“Likewise, none of those responsible for the senseless destruction and looting of billions of naira property has been arrested or brought to justice.
“Instead, several young people are still being held without trial in detention centers across the country.
“It seems that the lessons that should be learned from the events of the past year have been lost.
“For this reason, the Nigerian police did not mobilize to protect and protect the citizens but resorted to threats and mobilizations to prevent further expressions of dissatisfaction with the status quo.
“I sincerely hope that common sense will prevail and that young people who want to organize events on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the events at the Lekki toll station will gather peacefully and be protected from all forms of violence.
“The slaughter that followed attacks on protesters by security agencies and non-state actors must serve as a lesson for governments at all levels to learn to work with the Nigerian people in a way that preserves and respects their constitutional rights and freedoms, or Risks are taken in an atmosphere conducive to the collapse of public order.
“Today is an opportunity for the government to launch the reforms in the police and judiciary that our country so desperately needs. I urge the government to take this opportunity.
"This is the only way to honor the memory of those who gave their lives for this cause," said Saraki.
Meanwhile, No fewer than five protesters were arrested in Lagos to commemorate the Lekki toll gate shooting, and many more were gassed.
Well, as much as we want to believe that the security agencies learned their lessons, I guess that is not the case. instead of allowing the peaceful procession, they had to fire tear gas at protesters again.
The Youth gathered at the Lekki toll gate to commemorate the first anniversary of the bloody national #EndSARS protests last year.
The report has it that the Lagos State Police Department officers arrested two protesters.
One of those arrested was a Legit.ng journalist, the other was wearing a sign #ENDSARSMEMORIAL.
Remember that the Lagos State government and police previously warned young people who were about to demonstrate at the Lekki toll gate on Wednesday (today) to reconsider and suspend the protests.
But young Nigerians, under the aegis of the #EndSARSMemorial, have vowed to defy police orders.
The # EndSARS protests had spread across the country in October 2020 to register complaints from young people about alleged atrocities by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police (NPF).
The protest, which attracted widespread international attention, stalled on October 20, 2020, when heavily armed soldiers reportedly shot demonstrators at the Lekki toll gate.
The Lagos State Commission of Inquiry into the alleged killing of # EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki toll booth approved the toll booth to reopen after about four months of investigating the Lekki shootings.
The facility has been closed since the investigation into the shootings began.
Meanwhile, from the table of the former Senate spokesman Bukola Saraki has tasked the federal government with initiating reforms in the police and justice sectors across the country.
The former Kwara state governor called it "regrettable" that governments at all levels have still not learned a lesson.
Saraki, who said so on the first anniversary of Lekki's toll shelling against # EndSARS protesters, urged Nigerians to reflect on the lessons of the protests against brutality and abuse by the police.
The 8th Senate, chaired by Saraki, passed an anti-torture law in 2017.
“My thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives, loved ones, sustained injuries, or sustained other losses at the Lekki Toll Gate and at various locations in Lagos and around the country when security agencies were deployed to clamp down on the protests and non-state actors took advantage to cause chaos and mayhem.
He said; “It is worrying that despite the adoption of the '5 for 5 demands', nothing has really been done to address the problems that sparked the protests in the first place.
"None of the police officers accused of extrajudicial torture and murder of Nigerian citizens have been brought to justice, there has been no significant improvement in funding or the quality of the equipment made available to the Nigerian police, and the acts of torture continue in the various Security agency facilities nationwide.
“In addition, none of the perpetrators of the attacks on Nigerians who exercised their right to a peaceful protest were arrested or prosecuted, although many have been identified.
“Likewise, none of those responsible for the senseless destruction and looting of billions of naira property has been arrested or brought to justice.
“Instead, several young people are still being held without trial in detention centers across the country.
“It seems that the lessons that should be learned from the events of the past year have been lost.
“For this reason, the Nigerian police did not mobilize to protect and protect the citizens but resorted to threats and mobilizations to prevent further expressions of dissatisfaction with the status quo.
“I sincerely hope that common sense will prevail and that young people who want to organize events on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the events at the Lekki toll station will gather peacefully and be protected from all forms of violence.
“The slaughter that followed attacks on protesters by security agencies and non-state actors must serve as a lesson for governments at all levels to learn to work with the Nigerian people in a way that preserves and respects their constitutional rights and freedoms, or Risks are taken in an atmosphere conducive to the collapse of public order.
“Today is an opportunity for the government to launch the reforms in the police and judiciary that our country so desperately needs. I urge the government to take this opportunity.
"This is the only way to honor the memory of those who gave their lives for this cause," said Saraki.
Meanwhile, No fewer than five protesters were arrested in Lagos to commemorate the Lekki toll gate shooting, and many more were gassed.