EndSars Anniversary: Memorial protesters gain freedom, accuse the police of brutalisation.

Demonstrators who gathered in the early hours of Sunday to commemorate the 4th anniversary of the  October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate shooting have been released, following their initial arrest and allege brutalisation by the police – sources have confirmed.

In a press statement by the Lagos State Police Command on sunday, it confirmed that demonstrators who were arrested in the early hours of Sunday have been and according to the Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin via his X handle, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olanrewaju Ishola, personally oversaw the process.

“All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on the ground at the SCID to personally ensure this,” Hundeyin wrote.

Corroborating the Police’s spokesperson, human right lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, attested to the release of all the 22 activist, adding that all the items seized from the demonstrators were also returned to them.

Part of his post on his X handle reads “We had a discussion with the Commissioner of Police who came over to the State CID in respect of the matter. The items seized from the protesters were also returned to them.”. We had a discussion with the Commissioner of Police who came over to the State CID in respect of the matter, he added.

According to reports, the demonstrators were arrested as they gathered to mark the fourth anniversary of the October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate shooting, where peaceful protesters were killed during the EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality.

The youths were said to have gathered around 8:30 am at the toll gate with several banners and placards while they demanded the full implementation of the reports submitted by various judicial panels of inquiry set up after the 2020 protests.

However while the Police accused protesters of not following the laid down procedure for such rally to be held, some of the demonstrators have accused and alleged police brutalisation during the arrest. 

In their reaction earlier via its X handle, international rights group, Amnesty International, , condemned the arrest of protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate stressing that the reckless use of tear gas and arrests are unacceptable.