EndSARS Anniversary: “No Gathering Would be Allowed Near Lekki Tollgate,” Lagos Police Warn
- It is three years since the #ENDSARS protest, a youth-driven anti-police brutality demonstration, shook Nigeria
- The protest, which morphed from social media campaigns into street demonstrations in October 2020, was triggered by the excesses of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)
- While youths want to commemorate the day, police in Lagos have spelt out what it condones and as well as its prohibitions
Ikeja, Lagos state - Police in Lagos have said no gathering or convergence would be allowed anywhere around the Lekki toll gate.
The police’s warning came through SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Lagos State Command.
Source: Twitter
'EndSARS peaceful walk must not obstruct traffic'
Hundeyin, however, said security operatives “would be fully on ground to ensure security for all persons participating in the peaceful walk as long as they are not obstructing traffic”.
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He wrote on his known X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, October 19:
“Buses at/by Oriental Hotel suggests stopping/waiting of buses and gathering of passengers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no gathering/convergence whatsoever would be allowed anywhere around the toll gate. However, men of @LagosPoliceNG would be fully on ground to ensure security for all persons participating in the peaceful walk as long as they are not obstructing traffic.”
The EndSARS protests of 2020
Police brutality and harassment of young Nigerians had, three years ago, sparked a nationwide outrage that snowballed into weeks of protest, which climaxed on October 20 into the infamous Lekki shooting.
The #EndSARS protest was a public display of grievances, calling for an end to extrajudicial killings, extortion, and abuse of power, especially by officers of the now-defunct SARS.
EndSARS: Legit.ng's reporter beaten, arrested by police
In 2021, one of Legit.ng's video journalists, Abisola Alawode, was picked up by police officers at Lekki toll gate.
Abisola was at the scene of the EndSARS anniversary gathering doing a live video of the situation when he was assaulted and arrested.
EndSARS victims: Lagos suspends planned mass burial
In an earlier report by Legit.ng, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, announced the planned mass burial of the 103 corpses recovered in the wake of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest by the state had been suspended.
Omotoso said the suspension was due to the controversy generated by the announcement in July.
Source: Legit.ng
