A non-governmental organisation, Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), Thursday cried out that more people who participated in last year’s #EndSARS protest against police brutality were still languishing in some correctional facilities across the country.
The group in a statement made available by its media assistant, Precious Ubah, called on the public, friends, or relatives of victims with reliable information to reach out to it for prompt legal intervention via any of our social media platforms.
The group said, “The right to protest is fundamental and not a privilege. It is a right guaranteed by the grundnorm of the land; the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which affirms that a citizen of Nigeria does not need the approval of any governmental agency or public official to express their grievance.
“Thus, to find protesters being brutalised, illegally shot at, and arrested for exercising their fundamental right is a complete breach of their human rights.
“These were some of the disturbing encounters of Nigerians who participated in the October 2020 #EndSARS protest, where citizens came out en masse to bemoan the societal ills of police brutality, indiscriminate arrests, and the excesses of rogue police officers and operatives of different police units, especially the now-renamed Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Peaceful protesters are not criminals; neither is peacefully protesting a criminal offence.
“Through our networks, we have observed, monitored, and amplified the search for incarcerated protesters and provided prompt legal support for victims as well as relatives of victims arrested during and after the October 2020 nationwide protests.
“Sadly, almost one year after the nationwide protests, we can authoritatively confirm that there are still #EndSARS protesters who are incarcerated and languishing in various correctional centres.”
