One year after: Will justice ever be served?

This period last year marked an unprecedented organisation of youths towards clamouring for an end to the brutality of
security agents and respect for their human rights. The protests, however, culminated in the unpopular Lekki shootings which allegedly claimed lives and left many injured. ADEOLA OTEMADE and FUNMILAYO AREMU look at the issues surrounding the protest and whether anything has changed or the demands have been met, including the promises of compensation, one year after.

This month marks one year since Raji and Ramota Jimoh buried their 20-year-old son, Isiaka. It is going to be an eternal sore for them every October 10. The manner in which the death of their electrician son happened would have made the Isiakas inconsolable.

“I had warned him a day before he died not to join the protests due to the high-handedness of the police. It was as if I knew something of such would happen.

“My child had promised to take me to Mecca for pilgrimage and even buy houses for me. He was already into a thrift that would make me start a petty business,” Mrs Jimoh recanted in tears.

Isiaka was not even part of the EndSARS protests that enveloped the country last year. He was only a bystander and it was a stray bullet of the police officers trying to disperse the protesting youths that hit him and sent him to the world beyond.

The late Ayomide Taiwo is also being remembered by his family. His offence, Sunday Tribune gathered, was offering a police officer asking for bribe a ‘meagre N50’. His head was hit with the butt of a rifle and that marked the beginning of the end of his life.

Sunday Tribune learnt that he spent six days in coma until he eventually passed away. His mother agonisingly said: “If I knew he was going to die, I would not have allowed him to leave.”

Similar situations, Sunday Tribune can affirm, apply to scores of deceased youths including the likes of Kolade Johnson, Chika Ibeku, Tina Ezekwe, Precious Odua who allegedly lost their lives as a result of the high-handedness of police officers.

A year has passed since October 8, 2020, that the #EndSARS protests broke out as Nigerian youths took to the streets to voice out against police brutality and an apparent apathy for fundamental human rights by security operatives.

Demands were made by the protesters to the government whichwere highlighted to be:

1. immediate release of all arrested protesters;
2. justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families;
3. setting up and independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reported police misconduct within a period of 10 days;
4. carrying out psychological evaluation and retraining of all disbanded SARS operatives before they can be deployed (this should be verified by an independent body); and
5. the government should increase police salary and they should be adequately compensated for protecting lives and properties of the citizens.

 

Have the demands been met?

Investigations by Sunday Tribune and interactions with youths and some of the frontliners  revealed that the demands have largely been unmet, with youths still holding reservations about the way the historic nationwide protests ended and the impact of the judicial panels of enquiries set up subsequently.

Findings by Sunday Tribune revealed that high-handedness of security operatives still persists.Particularly, the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in recent times,has been accused of taking over from where SARS stopped.

On August 23rd, EFCC operatives reportedly broke in the home of the first runner-up, Big Brother Naija 2020, Dorathy Bachor, leaving the reality tv star worried about needing protection from people supposed to safeguard lives.

“At 4:45am, I heard a loud sound and voices followed after. I rush out almost naked to see 5 fully armed EFCC men in my living room and one of the saying “oh na that big brother babe be this.” In my confused state, I’m trying to understand what in the hell was going on.

“Why did they break down my door? Then one of them said they were looking for someone who ran into my estate and I should lock my door, stay indoors and not say a word. I’m shaking at this point and so confused because how exactly is this okay?

“What is the need of being a citizen of this country if I can’t feel safe in my own house? It’s 5am and I’m so upset right,” Bachor lamented on her Instagram page.

After taking to social media to express her displeasure, her apartment was stormed again with Bachor taken into custody for some hours.

Sunday Tribune also gathered that several hotels and private residences have been invaded by the anti-corruption agency, with little regard for life or property.

A youth representative, Oluyemi Fasipe also spoke out after EFCC operatives allegedly vandalised properties of youths in Owo, Ondo State, in April 2021, remarking that the prescribed duties of EFCC did not include vandalism.

“I am in total support of the crime-fighting efforts of EFCC but the idea of vandalising properties must be condemned in the strongest term.”

A senior lecturer in strategy and one of the popular voices against police brutality on social media, Dr Dipo Awojide, expressed: “Little progress has been made per reducing police brutality in Nigeria, but the EFCC seem to be taking over and unsystematically bursting hotels/private flats.”

On the welfare of the police, Sunday Tribune gathered that the salary scale of police officers in the country still remain the same. President Muhammadu Buhari made a pronouncement in 2018 on an improved salary scale for police officers.

However, interactions by Sunday Tribune with police officers revealed that the 2011 salary structure is still the active framework for payment, with the 2018 revision yet to take effect.

 

Judicial panels

In a bid to properly investigate what happened at Lekki Toll Gate and seek a way to compensate Nigerians who had been victims of police brutality over the years, judicial panels of enquiry were set up in all the 36 states of the federation.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo reportedly directed all state governments to set up panels that would investigate all allegations of brutality and extrajudicial killings against SARS with a victim support fund to compensate for the injustice suffered by victims.

Investigations by Sunday Tribune revealed, however, that only 29 states constituted judicial panels of enquiry.

Sunday Tribune gathered that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos approved a N200 million fund for the compensation of victims but many other states did not earmark any amount for compensation.

About 12 victims, Sunday Tribune gathered, were awarded a total of N68.25 million in six months by the state’s judicial panel.

In terms of conclusive reports and recommendations, Sunday Tribune gathered that only seven states had made submissions while victims in other states await when they would get compensation.

Speaking on the results from the judicial panels set up by respective state governments, a former member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and one of the popular faces during the EndSARS protests, Rinu Oduala, told Sunday Tribune that she was unimpressed with the lack of action by the government.

“It is a known fact that panels set up in the country before the protests including the infamous Presidential Panel recommendations, are yet to see the light of the day.

“Will the Nigerian government let us embark on the path to policing reforms or will it as usual ignore the reports and continue to profit from the humiliation of Nigerian citizens?” Oduala quizzed.

 

‘The government can never silence us’

12 months have passed since the global #EndSARS spectacle but actions from the government and attendant reactions of Nigerians suggest that not many lessons have been learnt by the government.

Many point to the ban of microblogging platform, Twitter as an indicator. On June 5, 2021, the Nigerian government officially put an indefinite ban on Twitter, restricting the platform from being used in Nigeria after the handlers of the social media platform deleted tweets made by President Muhammadu Buhari, which contained a warning that youths will be “treated in the language they understand.”

The attempt at holding a one-year #EndSARS memorial and the reactions of threat and force by the government is another indicator youths have pointed out that the government is yet to learn any lesson since October 2020.

Popular skit maker and comedian, Adebowale Adebayo, known as Mr Macaroni, took to social media to express his frustration in organising an event to commemorate one year after the historic youth movement.

“It’s been one year since EndSARS happened and anytime people gather to do anything EndSARS related, they are always besieged by police vans and armour tanks. It is in the same Lagos that people are robbed in broad daylight and nobody would come to your rescue.

Now, October 20th is almost here and we want to have a peaceful walk to Tollgate, the authorities said no. Let us have a summit at Landmark Event Centre, in a controlled environment and discuss among ourselves, some powers above are already making threats.

“Now, they [owners of Landmark] have said that we can’t hold the event there again. Honestly, who can blame them? They are protecting themselves, their business and their customers.

“My question is, can’t Nigerian youths gather again to discuss the way forward? Is this your plan to rule forever?

The comedian also had strong words for his fellow celebrities.

“Lagos State has shows and top celebrities will be there to perform before October 20th but other Lagosians can’t gather for their own peaceful summit?

“For the celebrities, they should think twice about their actions. The government isn’t good but you are taking money from the same government. I’m not saying you people shouldn’t make money but there are some things bigger than money.

“If it were a government that treats the people better than now, it would have been better. People are suffering and these people are doing nothing about it,” Mr Macaroni added.

Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana is another entertainer who was visible during the #EndSARS protests last year. He also did not mince words in condemning the government.

“They killed innocent souls that were simply asking not to be killed or brutalised. A year later, no one has been punished yet for those heinous crimes. A supposed police commissioner “warned” against citizens exercising their fundamental human rights. Yes, a police commissioner.

“A couple of well-meaning citizens decided to put together a summit to reflect on last year’s events and honour the lost souls. Event centre pulls out due to “instructions from above”.

“As I type this, there is already heavy police presence at the Lekki tollgate. Best thing they could come up with is organising “concerts” to try and distract us from remembering the real heroes in all of this, the people they murdered.

“What we will never do is be quiet. We will never ever be silenced, not today, not on the 20th, not ever,” Falana further stated on Twitter.

 

One year after, any significance?

While investigating the significance of the protest, Sunday Tribune spoke with a cross-section of youths on whether they can still rise up in unison.

Kunle Boboye, an entrepreneur, believes the government is yet to learn its lessons, noting that nothing significant had been done to address the issues raised by the protesters ever since the incident.

“The government hasn’t learnt a thing because nothing has changed since then till now, but there is this iota of fear we have dropped in their hearts that we can actually come together (again) and make things work.

“I am not satisfied at all because it barely changed anything. We are still where we used to be before the protest, if not worse. It wasn’t just about SARS; it was about our problems as a nation. I believe we still have a voice as the youth of the nation, we just need to be more strategic about how we use it now.

Folahanmi Mosunmola, another Nigerian youth, believes Nigerian youths still has a voice, noting that the judicial system had been infiltrated by the government, thereby rendering its potency invalid.

“Government will never learn any lesson because we the citizens haven’t shown them that we are more powerful. Until each citizen has that mindset and reflection of the truth that without him/her the president or governor can’t be elected, then we’re close to change and the government too will be careful.

“The judiciary which is the hope of the common man in Nigeria has been ambushed by the government and it’s been used against the masses to oppress.

“Looking at the investigation and panel set up for the justification of Lekki massacre in Lagos, it is clear that the government doesn’t give a damn about her citizens and we are not rated at all.

“Again, the fear of what might happen if they fail to deliver justice should have gripped them and propelled them to give the right verdict in due time and prosecute the offenders but in all, we have got nothing,” Mosunmola added.

 

What the future holds

According to Dr Usman Ayegba, a political scientist and sociologist, the significance of the protest could be seen from many perspectives.

“The significance of the EndSARS protest is manifold. For the very first time, the resolve of the Nigerian citizens to abandon their holds on religious, tribal and regional sentiments to hold their leaders to account on the issue of critical importance to their lives and survival as citizens of this country was demonstrated unequivocally.

“It further suggests that even though Nigerian people are often tagged as “suffering and smiling” people, the protest is a pointer that there is a limit to which that kind of mentality can be condoned. The police and military authorities more than ever before came to a bitter realisation that the power of people can defy guns and bullets.

“The demonstration is the message of failure of leadership of this country over the years and that bottled-up frustration is a timed bomb that its explosion would do no one, including the elite, any good. The consciousness of Nigerians previously dubbed docile, have been regained. Nigerians who are impervious can make demands on the system.

“These are some of the significant gains of the protest. Though, it came at a cost to human lives, property and societal peace and stability but fight for freedom and preservation of liberty all over the world came at costs,” he stated.

Speaking on the way forward for youths and getting the government to respect their fundamental human rights, Ayegba opined that “the youths of this country should first change themselves at individual levels by having a change of orientation and mind towards the country.

“They should see Nigeria as the only everlasting parsimony for them and their unborn generation by guiding it jealousy. Patriotism to the Nigerian State and all that concern it should be the primary purpose of being a citizen of this country. They oftentimes complain of leadership failure but most times, they are the architects of the leaders this country have had to produce.”

Okunfuwa Qudus, a Sociology and Anthropology expert, also spoke with Sunday Tribune on the significance of the last year’s protests, noting that they were an indicator of the excesses of the current administration and the high tolerance of Nigerians.

“I believe the protest showed how organised Nigerian youths can be when they strive to achieve similar goals. The protest is very significant to Nigeria as a whole because even at the face of oppression, Nigerians have always had high tolerance levels. The protest showed how bad this current government has failed.

“In the future, I don’t think there would be another protest that will be as peaceful. Many Nigerians are getting pushed to the wall in the face of economic hardship, and even with the EndSARS protest/aftermath, the clamour of the youths have not been met.

“Although SARS was disbanded, there are new dimensions of oppression and harassment from police, EFCC, etc. I don’t think we’ve seen the end of protests. I believe youths will rise once more and this time, they would not be agitation for any form of reform. They will be out for blood, they will be out for destruction and mayhem targeted against people in power

“I think the problem of fundamental rights cuts across all levels and age brackets. This is not a matter for youths alone to face. Until we start holding people in power accountable, rights will be violated daily.

“However, on the part of youth in Nigeria, there is need for immediate wake up call. I think the youth need to band together and stand against tyranny. A major problem has been the mentality that “it doesn’t concern me if the rights of others are violated as long as mine are not.

“Rights are like freedom, it is not given freely and willingly. You have to fight for it. One way is to create a network of organised groups to help the helpless people whose rights are violated daily. We can’t continue to ignore each other’s plights and expect things to get better,” Qudus stated further.

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