Omoyele Sowore, 2019 Presidential Candidate for African Action Congress, AAC, and founder of Online News platform, Sahara Reporters, and activist, Deji Adeyanju, led hundreds of protesters at the Abuja #EndSAR anniversary protest, held at the Unity Fountain Park, frowning at the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to address the demands of youths since last year.
Sowore said that the present administration has failed and this was the best way for the youths to rise and challenge the Government to live up to its expectations and promises.
Lagos, the epicenter of the protest, saw Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz and Nollywood Actor turned- Comedian, Debo Adebayo, known as Mr. Macaroni, leading procession to the Lekki Toll Gate #ENDSARS Memorial protest.
This was after heavily armed Policemen had effected some arrest of protesters.
The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions during the vehicle procession, waving the Nigerian flags with blood stains.
Taking to his Instagram handle on Social Media, an angry Debo vented his anger on Nigerian celebrities.
In the Instagram live video during the protest, he said Nigerian celebrities should stop collecting bribes from politicians.
He said; “If you keep enabling the Government by collecting money from them every time, think about millions of lives that your greedy decision will ruin.”
“If the Government gives you 50 million or 100 million, think about what that money will do for millions of poor masses.”
“People are seriously suffering in Nigeria. People are homeless; they don’t even know what their next meal will be. Think about them when you decide to extend your hands to collect bribes from our greedy politicians.”
“Nigerian celebrities, stop collecting bribes from these politicians and start lending your voices.”
Other activists that led the procession were inside their Cars at the tollgate waving Nigerian flags from inside the vehicles and honking the horns while singing solidarity songs.
In a chat with newsmen, one of the activists said that they will continue going to and fro the tollgate as their own way of protesting.
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC and political activist, Comrade Timi Frank,accused the Federal Government of gross insensitivity to the plight of victims of the #EndSARS protests and the Lekki “Tollgate massacre” a year ago.
Frank in a statement to commemorate the first anniversary of the youth uprising which ended with a crackdown by men of the Nigerian Army, said the Federal Government has failed to bring those who carried out the dastardly acts to justice.
He lamented that Government,at all levels, has failed to initiate and implement policies and programmes aimed at massive job creation, youth empowerment and engagements and poverty alleviation.
“No soldier has been sanctioned nor prosecuted. No living victim nor family of dead victims has been compensated. How long will victims of the wickedness of Government await justice?
“Besides, it is both unimaginable and unacceptable that one year after the #EndSARS agitations, policemen involved in the inhuman and egregious acts like torture, extortions, extra-judicial killings and other abuses have not been held to account.
“The Nigerian Government at all levels has not only betrayed the people, they have continued to engage in anti-people rhetorics that show their unwillingness to learn from the issues that led to the #EndSARS protests,” Frank said.
“Why is it that the Panels of Enquiry set up by the Federal Government and various State Government have failed to diligently carry out their assignments and ensure justice for victims?
“This is nothing but an unholy and ungodly collusion aimed at making Nigerians forget the incident, protect security agents who massacred peaceful protesters and to eternally deny victims of justice,” he said.
He called on Nigerian youths to remain resolute and steadfast in their quest to stamp out Police brutality and other forms of victimization, corruption, harassment, intimidation and extra-judicial killings by security forces in the country.
Following the arrest of some youths in Lagos, a Youth Group, Coalition for Revolution, CORE, says Nigerian youths cannot be stopped by threats from armed forces in commemorating the historic #EndSARS movement which was birthed a year ago.
In a statement issued by the conveners of the group, Baba Aye and Gbenga Komolafe, it said the Police and other security agents should stay back and watch as the protests are carried out peacefully, stating that nothing will stop the youths from remembering those who lost their lives at the Lekki Tollgate of October 20.
It further ordered the immediate release of those arrested as they have rights to stage a peaceful protest and show their grudges against the government.
The statement reads, “Several organisations that played active roles in the #EndSARS protests last year have organised a series of activities over the last five days.
“This has been to honour those killed when the regime repressed the protests, and to demand the release of all those still languishing in jail over the protests as well as an end to continued police brutality.
“On 20/10/20, the world witnessed the #LekkiMassacre as the regime drowned the #EndSARS rebellion in blood. In memorial of this day, peaceful demonstrations will take place across Nigeria, on the platform of the #EndSARS United Memorial.
“The police and various states’ governments have threatened to stop these Nigerians. We will not be stopped. We will exercise our fundamental right protest and freedom of assembly tomorrow 20 October 2021.
“We want to make it unambiguously clear that the Youths WILL GATHER to remember our dead and to remember our struggle, a genuine youth and mass movement which moved the soul of every Nigerian at home and abroad and which was punctuated by a ruthless government determined to maintain their positions of power at the cost of lives of innocent Nigerians.
“We call on the Nigerian government, the Nigerian armed forces and the Nigerian police to cease and desist from threatening peaceful protests and memorials and from using scare tactics to dismantle a movement whose time has come. We demand that no drop of Nigerian blood be shed tomorrow. No arrests. No beatings. Just stand back and allow us to remember our fallen heroes.
“We are united, to #EndSARS, to remember our dead and to call for justice in our land. We will not be deterred and nothing can stop us. We continue to struggle, and united, of one voice, we will surely win.”
Interestingly in Osun State, the Youths ruled out street demonstrations and protest to mark the memorial anniversary of last year’s #EndSARS nationwide protests.
The youths under the aegis of Osun Civil Society Movement, through its Convener, Comrade Ayo Ologun disclosed that: “We are holding a programme at Aurora Event Center, Osogbo today to commemorate the anniversary and after that, there will be candlelight procession within the premises. We are not holding street demonstrations or protests.
“It is a constitutional right of anybody to protest so if any youths embark on street protest today they have police to deal with. At our own programme, what we will do is to dialogue on #EndSARS issues, lessons learnt and the regrets.
“We are peacefully engaging government since they are ready to dialogue with us. If they we would have embarked on street protests like Lagos and Abuja but there is a programme organized to commemorate the memorial anniversary.”
Though, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Yemisi Opalola, had earlier warned youths and groups of people not to embark on protest in commemoration of the first anniversary of #ENDSARS.
In a statement released by the Osun State Police Command this morning, “Commissioner of Police has given marching orders to the Area commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Tactical units to be at alert and nip in the bud any act capable of truncating the peace of the state.
“The CP advised parents and guardians to warn their wards to be law-abiding, and desist from such planned protest/gathering/ assembly as the State Police Command will arrest and prosecute defaulters.”
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