Hassan Taiwo Soweto,centre, following his release from police custody
Today, in the early afternoon, twenty two EndBadGovernance protesters arrested for marking the murder of EndSARS protesters were released by the police.
The #EndSARS struggle of October 2020 is a watershed in the history of Nigeria. The Nigeria ruling elites were shocked by the massive protest of young people across the country to demand an end to a rogue unit of the Nigeria Police Force called SARS. Despite state sponsoring of thugs to attack protesters and shooting of protesters by the police in various locations, for two weeks young people demonstrated resilience and unity of purpose.
Below, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Organising Committee, #Endbadgovernance Movement, Lagos State and National Spokesperson of the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), had this message when he and the others were released earlier today:
“We have just been released after the Commissioner of Police came down to the Panti police station pleading hypocritically. The whole brutalisation, assault and arrest happened in his presence.
He ordered it.
Obviously the last has not been heard of this. Many of us are injured. One comrade had blood gushing from his nose. Two comrades, a male and female, were sexually molested. A male comrade was stripped naked – we had to find a rope to hold his trousers to preserve his dignity.
Many are still in shock.
I had my cloth torn by Officer Nnadi James at Panti police station. This violation of our rights and brutalisation on a day set aside to commemorate a brutal massacre four years ago cannot be tolerated.
We want justice. We won’t stop until we have it.
As for the struggle against Tinubu’s anti-poor policies, this assault won’t dissuade us. The struggle continues until victory.”
#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria
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