Despite the disbandment of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) by the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, the #EndSARS protesters have mounted their campaign across the country.
The protesters are insisting on a total police reform, which President Muhammadu Buhari guaranteed Monday in Abuja.
The protesting youth are also taking to various social media platforms to pare on for the reform.
The campaign however took a tragic turn Monday when a protester was allegedly killed by the police in Surulere, Lagos state, with several others injured in the process.
A protester was similarly killed in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, during the visit of Minister of Sports and Youth Development Sunday Dare to the Soun of Ogbomoso’s palace Saturday.
During the Monday incident, however, reports said the protesters attacked the police officers drafted to avert possible breach of law and other.
Police confirm attack
Confirming the development, Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos state Commend, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said: “Yes, they attacked our anti-kidnapping unit at Iyun road, three of our officers were shot, they are at the ICU (Intensive Care Unit).”
Adejobi also said a police officer; Erinfolami Ayodeji was killed in the fracas.
It was also gathered that two other police personnel were in critical conditions at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Surulere.
Sanwo-Olu pleads
Although there were related incidents at Lekki Toll Gate, Ojuelegba and Barracks among others, no life was however lost.
With Lagos as epicentre of #EndSARS protest, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has planned a meeting with President Buhari Tuesday.
Sanwo-Olu announced this Monday while addressing protesters at Lekki toll-gate.
A statement by the governor’s aide on media, Mr. Jubril Gawat, said Sanwo-Olu identified with the EndSARS campaigners, assuring that their agitations touched the essence of democratic freedom.
While saying citizens had the rights to protest, he cautioned them against employing wrong methods to drive home their message.
The governor said: “Your voice has been heard clearly and a clear pronouncement has been made on the activities of SARS. The operation has been dissolved by the police leadership and just a moment ago, Mr President addressed the nation on the issues you have raised. The President has said all SARS officers that are involved in the killing of innocent people and engaging in human rights abuses will be brought to justice.
“My stance on this EndSARS is unmistakable and I have told you that we identify with this protest because you have legitimate concerns. I am saying it again here that this protest is in good faith. But, we must not be unruly when going out on a protest like this. We want you to be peaceful and decorous in expressing yourselves.”
The statement also quoted the governor as speaking with IGP Adamu on the position of the state government on police reforms, saying he would visit President Buhari on Tuesday to present the demands of Lagos youth on the issues.
Although the governor pleaded with the protesters not to unblock the roads, one of which was the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, such plea however fell on deaf ears.
The statement further said: “The protesters remained unruly but the Governor made his point – they should not allow their legitimate campaign hijacked by hoodlums who may have another agenda.”
“Sanwo-Olu agreed with the demand of the protesters on reforms in the operations of law enforcement agencies, adding that the State Government would work with the police leadership on compensation for the family members of victims of SARS brutality in Lagos.”
Kwara
Similar protest was carried out in Kwara state, with angry youth storming Government House Ilorin.
They were scattered all over the vicinity of the Government House after which they carried their message to the governor’s lodge, all along Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin.
Receiving the protesters, Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi said: “The disbandment of SARS as a unit goes beyond any state government. The governor will be meeting with representatives of the protesters at the presidential lodge tomorrow, 13th of October at 2 p.m. in order to chart a way forward.”
Earlier, leader of the protesters, Mr. Olushola Olayemi, had said the youth wanted a complete end to SARS, and pleaded with the state government to also lend their voice to the dissolution of the police unit.
Anambra, Abia
It’s the same story in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of Anambra state, where youth staged a peaceful protest to also condemn the activities of SARS.
So it was in Umuahia, the Abia state capital.
The protest in Onitsha was in defiance of the warning by the state youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, which called for a cancellation of the planned protest.
The Ohanaeze youth wing said its decision followed the announcement of the disbandment of the unit by the IGP.
A statement by the leader of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Youth Wing, Mr. Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, said: “Igbo youth had our share of the unsavoury experience hence the reason of the peaceful #EndSARSBRUTALITY and #REFORMNIGERIAPOLICE protest in Awka Anambra state on the 10th October 2020.”
He said the Awka protest Saturday was “detailed in planning, mature in execution, and it went within the ambit of the law.”
However, in defiance of the call, a group of youth, comprising businessmen, bloggers, media presenters, career men and women, humanitarian foundations, individual associations, staged a protest to their voices heard.
Among others, the youth, who marched round the commercial city and terminating the campaign at the Onitsha Central Police Station, called for the setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of alleged misconduct by the police.
Besides, they also demanded a psychological evaluation, re-training and re-orientation of all former SARS officers before re-integrating them into other units of the force.
14 arraigned in Delta
Meanwhile, a Magistrate Court sitting in Ughelli, Delta state, has arraigned 14 persons in connection with last Thursday’s EndSARS protest.
The protest which turned violent, led to alleged killing of a Police Corporal, Stanley Etaga and an unidentified protesters.
Also, a Police Sergeant, Patrick Okuone attached to the Eagle Net Squad of the state command sustained critical injury, just as a police patrol vehicle was damaged.
In suit number MU/193C/2020, six of the accused persons were arraigned on a one-count charge of breach of peace by constituting themselves into nuisance.
The six persons are Precious Mudiaga, Onome Ovie, Ovie Brume, Umukoro Joshua, Duku Evans and Oroghodo Friday.
The other eight were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on felony and murder in suit number MU/194C/2020.
The eight accused persons include Iboyi Emmanuel, Umukoro Rukevwe, German Oghenekevwe, Moses Eduwekon, Oke John, Ogbonna David, Prosper John and Akpovwigho Eloho.
Prosecutor, Brenda Ejelonu told the court that the offences against the 14 accused persons contravened different sections of the criminal code Cap C21, Vol 1 laws of Delta State of Nigeria.
However, presiding Magistrate, E.A. Odjugo adjourned the case to October 29 for mentioning.
The court granted the first six defendants bail in the sum of N50,000 each with one surety in like sum.
The court ordered the other eight to be remanded at the Federal Custodial Center in Sapele where they would be quarantined for 14 days before being transferred to Warri Correctional Centre pending advice by the Department of Public Prosecution.
Disbandment as precursor to reform
And in a response to the protests, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that disbanding SARS is the first step to extensive police reforms by his administration.
Speaking at the launch of the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES), aimed at creating 774,000 jobs across the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country Monday, the president also directed that all those responsible for misconduct or wrongful acts be brought to justice.
”I will like to use this opportunity to say a word on the recent genuine concerns and agitations by Nigerians about the excessive use of force and in some cases extra-judicial killings and wrongful conduct of the men of the Nigerian Police Force.” Buhari said at the event attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Governors Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state and Engineer Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state.
”The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reforms in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood of our people.
”We will also ensure that all those responsible for misconduct or wrongful acts are brought to justice. We deeply regret the loss of life of the young man in Oyo State during the recent demonstrations. I have directed that the circumstances of his death should be thoroughly investigated.
“Meanwhile, it is important to recognise that the vast majority of men and women of the police force are hardworking and diligent in performing their duties. The few bad eggs should not be allowed to tarnish the image and reputation of the force,” he said.
On the empowerment programme, the president, while restating his administration’s commitment to youth development and poverty alleviation, said the federal government policies of social protection and people empowerment would continue on track, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic.
The president, who described P-YES as a cornerstone of his administration’s social and economic development strategies, said it was part of the overall policy of ensuring that 100 million Nigerians were lifted out of poverty in ten years.
”The P-YES is also part of the plan that we adopted in 2016 in which we empowered One hundred youths from each of the 774 local government areas with the necessary tools to acquire skills and establish small businesses.
”Given the success of that initiative, we are now committed to creating 774,000 jobs across all the LGAs, through the P-YES programme,” he said.
The president, who took a tour of P-YES tools and equipment displayed at the forecourt of Presidential Villa, expressed delight that the materials showcased represent the fruits of the initiatives embarked upon by his administration in 2016.
”All the tools, machines and equipment that are exhibited here, are products of the efforts of these empowered youth entrepreneurs. I note with particular pleasure that they were all fabricated in Nigeria by Nigerian youths using locally sourced materials. This is a wonderful and uplifting achievement.
”As an entrepreneurship empowerment project, the P-YES programme aims to address the needs of unskilled and less educated youth. It targets key areas of activities that are of practical importance and are essential to every aspect of our economy.
”These include areas such as agriculture and food processing, restaurant and catering, tailoring and fashion design, technical skills such as in the Information and Communications Technology sector, artisanship, welding, carpentry and joinery, other small businesses and activities associated with the micro-economic sector of this economy,” Buhari further said.
The president used the occasion to call on State Governments, Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to factor the P-YES into their programmes to assist the youth realise their potentials in their chosen fields.
He urged local and foreign private sector operators in Nigeria to also contribute their share to the expansion of this programme through channelling their corporate social responsibility efforts towards skills acquisition, creation of start-ups, and other intervention measures.
President Buhari declared that the expansion of the P-YES would now be vigorously pursued, adding that more resources will be committed to the achievement of its goals and objectives towards youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development.
The president commended the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Youth and Students Affairs, under Hon Nasiru Saidu Adhama, for driving the P-YES programme in accordance with the mandates prescribed for the office and the programme.
He expressed confidence that the programme being supervised by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation would make significant difference.
In his remarks, Hon Nasiru Saidu assured the president that as achieved in the pilot phase of the programme the selection of beneficiaries in the full-scale, P-YES scheme would be done with the utmost transparency and credibility.
He said equal opportunities would be observed in the delivery of equipment, tools and machines to all States and LGAs
