End SARS: Police Forcibly Dispel Protesters In Abuja
Nigerians who took the streets of Abuja, on Friday, to protest against Police brutality were forcibly evacuated by members of the Nigeria Police Force.
The protest was part of the ongoing nationwide campaign against brutality meted on young people by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
For over three days, Nigerians have actively called for the scrapping of the police unit. In Lagos, protesters converged in front of the State House of Assembly on Thursday where they spent the night till Friday.
In the still ongoing protest, the demonstrators were addressed by various government officials and a House session was held to deliberate on the issue.
Despite several pushbacks, protests are still ongoing in Lagos, Ibadan and other parts of the country.
In Abuja, protesters were chased away with tear gas with some dragged into vans as they converged around the city’s centre.
When HumAngle visited the scene, people were fleeing protest grounds around Taj Bank and Millennium park with signs of police struggle laying around.
HumAngle reports that the police opened fire at the people to disperse them and some were detained at the Maitama Police station.
Olu Onemola was carried into a truck alongside his cousin as they attempted to protest.
He tweeted, “My cousin @AO_Adebola and I had not even joined the protest yet.
“We just came down from our cab in front of Millennium Park and about 15 officers surrounded us and pushed us into the back of a pickup. They didn’t give us a chance to explain.”
@Tiwascott tweeted, “They started shooting at us. We weren’t even much and we peacefully carried placards and they still shot at us!!! This is the Abuja police for heavens sakes!!!”
The city is currently filled with police vans are several strategic areas where protesters might converge to deter them.
On Sunday, in the heat of the #EndSARS movement, Nigerians, tired of being constantly targeted by the police under the guise of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), wailed.
Expectedly, Nigeria’s inspector general of police issued a statement in the evening banning SARS from carrying out stop and search duties and setting up roadblocks.
Mohammed Adamu also said members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) must always wear uniforms.
SARS and other tactical police units have been banned from “invasion of privacy of citizens particularly through the indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobiles, laptops and smart devices,” Mr Adamu said in a statement on Sunday.
Since the announcement, some Nigerians have shared their observations and experiences on Twitter suggesting that the FSARS operatives have yet to comply with the police chief’s instructions. They are calling for the unit to be scrapped completely.
Support Our Journalism
There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.
To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.
Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.
Donate Here
