Four years after #EndSARS protests, human rights abuses by Police still rampant

.Urges FG to address human rights violations by the Police

.Lagos CP orders release of detained #ENDSARS 4th anniversary protesters

Amnesty International Nigeria, on Sunday, said human rights abuses by the Nigeria Police, including unlawful detention, extortion, torture, and sexual violence, were still rampant four years after the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.

It would be recalled that the nationwide #EndSARS protests were held between October 1 and 20, 2020 to demand an end to police brutality, particularly by the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police.

However, the protests were abruptly halted on October 20, 2020, following tragic incidents at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, where lives were lost during an alleged military shootout.

In a statement on Sunday, in commemoration of the protests, Amnesty International Nigeria called on the Federal Government to address human rights violations by the Police, which the rights group noted has continued to embolden impunity and leave Nigerians vulnerable to the same violations that triggered the #EndSARS protests in 2020.

Isa Sanusi, the Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, stated: “Amnesty International continues to receive—almost daily—reports of human rights violations by the police across Nigeria, including unlawful detention, extortion, torture, sexual violence, and in some cases, extrajudicial execution.

“The Nigerian authorities still have the opportunity to reform the police and make it an institution with zero tolerance for human rights violations. The opportunity must not be allowed to slip away by the failure to hold the police to account for human rights violations. Gradually, we are returning to the horrific pre-endsars days when the police behave as if they have the carte blanche to violate human rights.

“The Nigerian authorities’ promises of addressing human rights violations by the police must be fulfilled to meet the country’s obligations under Nigerian and International law. All atrocities before and after #EndSARS protests must be investigated and suspected perpetrators brought to justice.”

The rights group highlighted several cases of judicial execution by the police in the four years since the protests. Notable incidents include:

“On 3 July 2021 during the Yoruba nation rally at Ojota, Lagos state, Jumoke Oyeleke (25) met her untimely death. Jumoke is a salesgirl who was displaying her drinks before she was hit by a bullet shot by a police officer, Tajudeen Bakare. On 11 September 2021, Mosurat Ojuade, an 18-year-old fashion designer, was shot and killed by a police officer, Sgt. Samuel Phillips.

“On 22 January 2022, Paul Durowaiye was shot dead by a police officer over a fight for sachet water. It was said that Paul picked up a pure water belonging to the police officer, and the fight erupted, which later led to his demise. On 4 June 2022, one Oliver was shot dead along Jalingo-Zing Road by a police sergeant, Haruna Idi, over a minor argument. On December 7, 2022, Gafaru Buraimoh was shot and killed by Inspector Imeh Johnson in Ajah, Lagos State.

“On 25 December 2022, Bolanle Raheem, a female lawyer, was returning from church with her family when they encountered the police and she was shot at close range by a police officer, Drambi Vandi, in Lagos. On 15 February 2023, a soldier in mufti was stabbed to death by a police officer due to an altercation with some policemen at the Odogunyan axis of Ikorodu, Lagos state. On 5 April 2023, Onyeka Ibe was shot to death for refusing to pay the N100 bribe to police officers on stop-and-search duty.

“Since the leak of a government memo dated 19 July 2023, which was addressed to the Lagos State Ministry of Health indicating that the state government had approved more than N61 million Naira for the mass burial of 103 persons identified as victims of the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, the identities of the 103 victims are yet to be disclosed, while those suspected to be responsible for the killings are yet to be brought to justice in fair trials”, the statement read.

The group also noted that of the 36 states of the federation, only Lagos state had made the findings of its #EndSARS judicial panel public, while only two states – Ekiti and Osun, and the FCT, were known to have paid full compensation to the survivors and relatives of the victims of the police brutality.

Similarly, seven states including Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara States, were yet to set up any form of judicial panel.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos state, Mr Olanrewaju Ishola, has ordered the release of all detained persons in connection with #ENDSARS 4th anniversary at Lekki-Tollgate on Sunday.

The Command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement on his X handle.

Hundeyin, however, did not mention how many persons were detained.

“All protesters in our custody have been released.

“CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on ground at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), to personally see to that,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the #EndSARS movement began on Oct. 20, 2020 as a call to action against the unprofessional activities of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The protests led to the disbandment of SARS but also resulted in violence, where some police officers were killed, many government properties, including police stations, public buses and other facilities were touched.