EndSARS memorial: Ondo, Oyo youths defy police, protest unending police brutality

YOUTHS in Ondo and Oyo states, yesterday, defied warnings by the Nigeria Police against planned protests, to mark the first anniversary of the EndSARS protests, as they staged peaceful protests in Ibadan and Akure, and lamented the unending police brutality meted out at them.

The protesters were, however, monitored by heavily armed policemen and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, who were stationed at major flashpoints in the cities.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, the protest, which began around 9 am from the Iwo-Road area, lasted about three hours, as the youths moved in groups to Idi-Ape, Agodi and down to the state secretariat main gate, where they were addressed by the Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security Matters, Mr. Sunday Odukoya.

The protesters, who displayed placards with various inscriptions such as ‘End Police Brutality', 'Free Sunday Igboho, Lady K’, demanded the release of nine detained protesters arrested during last year’s EndSARS protests.

Addressing the protesters, Mr. Odukoya stated that their demand to release the nine detained youths during the last EndSARS protests was beyond the powers and scope of the Oyo State Government, as the matter is before the judiciary, adding that the rule of law must be adhered to. 

He said: “The Oyo State Government believes in the rule of law, this particular issue is already in court and if the judiciary is clamouring for its independence, I think there shouldn’t be any interference in this matter.” 

 Ondo youths lament unending police brutality

In Ondo State, youths trooped out to the streets of Akure and faulted the non-implementation of the recommendations of the End SARS panel report by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

The protesters converged on the Post Office junction along the popular Oba Adesida road and embarked on a candlelight procession through the A-Division axis to the NEPA roundabout to honour the youths who were killed by security forces during the October 20, 2020 protest.

Leader of the protesters, Tope Temokun, who addressed newsmen, said: “Our government has been feeding us with lies over the years. Our coming out after a year of the protest to end brutality in Nigeria both from the police and the government is to remind the government that we need only one thing from them and that is truth.

“We came out on October 2020 to protest the brutality of the police and bad governance in this country. 

“They asked us to go back home, they told us we were going to get justice, they told us we were going to get the truth, they told us we are going to get redress, they told us that our people are going to get compensation.

“We went before the panel; we ventilated our grievances, after one year we are still on the streets."

 “What we are witnessing today is brutality in a more ferocious manner both from the police and from our government."

“We have submitted a petition to the government of Governor Akeredolu to implement the recommendations of the End SARS panel that was put in place to address the grievances of Nigerians.

“What we protested against are back in the streets. The police are back on the streets. They are not after armed robbers, they are not after bandits, they are not after kidnappers but they are after Nigerian youths.

“They want to search laptops, they want to search phones, they want to monitor conversations, and they want you to transfer money from your account to their account.

“We are saying that the brutality has not ended. We are saying the more you continue to give us this kind of treatment, we will not be tired to protest against you. When we leave this place today, it is just to remind our government and the police that we are not tired of standing up to challenge all these forms of injustice.

“We have our agenda and our agenda is clearly defined and we cannot be distracted. We have a clear-cut agenda.

“We will continue to ask questions and demand justice from the police and government.

“There is no food in the country. There is no job. The only thing we have is our voice to speak against all forms of injustice. We will not be tired. All we are saying is end police brutality in form of unemployment, end brutality in form of kidnapping, and in terms of banditry. We are saying that we would not be tired.”

Receiving the protesters, the Police Commissioner, Mr. Bolaji Salami, who commended them for their peaceful conduct, assured that all their grievances would be tabled before the state government. 

Culled from Vanguard