° We didn’t use gun on protesters
Many people were injured today when the Police fired teargas canisters at people who converged to commorate the two years anniversary of #EndSARS protest.
Outside the teargas canisters, popularly known as smoke, the police were also accussed of firing gunshots to disperse the mammoth crowd that converged at the Toll gate.
But in a swift reaction, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO) SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said nobody was injured and no gunshot was fired by the police.
A victim, Ifeanyi Iwekasi, told Daily Sun that the youths were at the Toll gate to mourn those who were killed, maimed or detained by the police during the two years #EndSARS protest and to remind the government that she has not fulfilled its’ promises.
According to the activist, ” Over 50 people have been injured. They were scampering for safety when the police fireed teargas canisters on us. They also fires gunshots into the air. I am not saying that they shot the guns at us, but we were injured by the teargas”
Another protester, Mark Chiedozie , told our Correspondent that , ” the police went beyond their brief. They used water Cannon on us, most of our people have pills in their bodies from the hot water from the cannon. They shot guns at us, but none of was hit. There is no Court order, restraining people from converging at the Toll gate. When the Obidents did rally for Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, there was Court Order restraining people from converging on the spot.That was why we converge there,but the police went beyond their rule of engagement and attacked us. They violated our fundamental human rights. They arrested some of us. We don’t know where they took them to.
“Well, we wanted the government to know that they betrayed us I would say that the only achievement made by the #EndSars protest made was the disbanding of the Special Anti Robbery Squad ( SARS), but that is on the periphery. If you look deeply, nothing has been changed so far. The people in SARS are still the same Policemen are still in the tactical units and squads all over the police formations. Nothing seems to have changed because since after the protest, we have witnessed many extrajudicial killings, brutality and extortions by the same police. One of the demands by the protesters was for the police to do mental evaluation of officers and men of the force, but has it been done. How many of them have been sacked or taken for mental treatment or psychological maladies. Again, another demand by the protesters was that compensations should be paid to the victims of police brutality. Up till today, nobody has been compensated.The Federal Government is just confirmed that two years after the protest, it is just getting the reports on Commission of inquiry now”
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said that nobody was shot or injured, ” I must be sincere with you, no single gunshot was fired. Our men only used teargas and water Cannon to disperse the crowd. We arrested some of them who were fomenting trouble for few hours. We kept them in our Black Maria till we were able to disperse the crowd and we released them immediately.
” You could recall that during the rally for Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, we did not have any problems people. We told them that they could pass but not to converge at the Toll gate ana they complied. We even trekked along with them and we had no issues with them. You can attest to it. But the problem with #EndSARS protesters was that they converged at the Toll gate; started climbing the rails and blocking the roads.You know that if we did not disperse them, they would have caused heavy gridlock and that would disturb commercial activities. But the good news is that is that nobody was shot, injured or detained “.
