No EndSARS Protester Still In Detention, Police Reply Shehu Sani

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Sunday, June 16th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigeria Police Force says none of the protesters arrested during the October 2020 demonstration against police brutality and extrajudicial killings is still in detention.

Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi made this known in a statement on Sunday.

The police described as untrue, claims by Shehu Sani, a former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District, that some of the youths detained for the #EndSARS protest are still in custody.

In 2020, some Nigerian youths took to the streets to protest against police brutality and the situation in the country. But in the wake of the protest, some police stations, formations, and officers were damaged across the country, leading to some arrests.

While some of the arrested protesters were released, others are believed to being held up in various police stations.

At a special dinner Organised to mark Democracy Day held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on June 12, 2024, Sani had said those who took part in the protest should also be considered champions of democracy.

The former lawmaker had asked President Bola Tinubu to pardon those incarcerated over the #EndSARS protest in 2020.

However, the police said the matter had been concluded, “lessons have been learnt. We have forgiven ourselves and moved on”.

“The Nigeria Police affirms that no individual is being unlawfully detained by the Nigeria Police Force or any other security agency in Nigeria due to the EndSARS protes,” the statement partly read.

“All arrested individuals have been processed according to the law, and none remain unlawfully detained. In Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pardoned approximately 100 suspects arrested by the Police during the protest.

“For emphasis, no one anywhere in Nigeria is under Police detention or being wrongly persecuted for participating in the EndSARS protest. The issues surrounding the protest have been debated, researched, and documented, and lessons have been learnt. We have forgiven ourselves and moved on.

“We urge the public to disregard this claim and remain assured of our commitment to upholding justice, the rule of law, and human rights.”