The Lagos State Police Command on Sunday afternoon announced that it has released over 17 protesters arrested for commemorating the fourth anniversary of the EndSARS Lekki Toll Gate massacre.
“All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on the ground at the SCID to personally see to that,” Ben Hundeyin, the Lagos Police spokesperson, posted on X on Sunday afternoon.
Sanyaolu Juwon, director of the human rights organisation Take It Back (TIB) Movement, who joined the EndSARS memorial, also confirmed the release to FIJ.
According to Juwon, the affected protesters were about 22.
This development came hours after Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer, and Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, raised the alarm on social media.
Effiong also confirmed the release of the arrested protesters.
FIJ saw video clips showing the protesters calling for help after they were arrested and conveyed in a Black Maria to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti.
“I am speaking to you right now in a Black Maria completely brutalised and my glasses have been damaged,” Hassan Taiwo Soweto, one of the protesters, said from a police van.
“We are asking here, today, when has the right to commemorate [people’s] death become illegal and criminalised in this country? We are marking the anniversary of our brothers and sisters who were brutally killed four years ago at the Lekki Toll Gate.”
Some of the arrested protesters include Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Remilekun Orunsolu, Olamide Thomas, Micheal Adedeji, Adeseye Eshe and Olamilekan Sanusi.
FIJ also reported how the police shot tear gas canisters at the EndSARS memorial demonstrators who were demanding the arrest and prosecution of Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and former President Muhammadu Buhari. The 2020 Lekki Toll Gate massacre happened under Buhari and Sanwo-Olu’s watch.
Meanwhile, the police spokesperson could not be reached for comments on why the protesters were arrested.
FIJ called Hundeyin four times, but his number was busy all through. FIJ also sent an SMS and Whatsapp message, but he had not responded at the time of publication.
First published in FIJ
