The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the release of 18 activists arrested at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State yesterday. The activists were arrested while commemorating the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protest.
According to SP Benjamin Hundeyin, spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olanrewaju Ishola, was present to ensure the release of the apprehended activists.
“All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on ground at the SCID to personally see to that,” Hundeyin announced on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.
However, one of the released activists, Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, alleged that the police operatives were brutal and sexually molested them during their detention. “We have just been released,” Soweto said.
This development comes after three years of protests against police brutality in Nigeria, where at least 15 protesters are still languishing in jail without trial. The authorities have been accused of filing trumped-up charges against the protesters, including theft, arson and murder.
Amnesty International has condemned authorities’ actions, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained protesters. “Three years in detemtion without trial is a travesty of justice,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International, Nigeria.
The #EndSARS movement began in 2020 as a response to the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad’s (SARS) atrocities. The protests resulted in the death of at least 56 people across the country, with security operatives using excessive force to control the protests.