A member of the Lagos State organising committee of the #EndBadGovernance Movement, Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto has accused the operatives of the state Police Command of brutality and sexual molestation when police swooped on activists marking the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS killings on Sunday.
Soweto and 17 other activists were arrested on Sunday at the Lekki Tollgate while marking the fourth memorial of the October 20, 2020 killings during the contentious #EndSARS prostest.
Scores of protesters were allegedly killed at Lekki Tollgate by soldiers during the protracted protests by the youths against police brutality across various states of the country including Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Nigerians on Sunday converged at the Lekki Tollgate to lay a wreath, and held a procession in memory of the deceased in commemoration of the gruesome killing of over a dozen protesters at Lekki when the activists were arrested.
Meanwhile, spokesman of the Lagos State Police, SP Benjamin Hundeyin announced the release of Soweto and other arrested persons. “All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on ground at the SCID to personally see to that.”
Soweto who confirmed the release however accused CP Olanrewaju of being hypocritical with his appeal for their release after being allegedly brutalised in his presence.
“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 were 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 clothes 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 4 years ago cannot be tolerated. We want justice. We won’t stop until we have it,” he said.
Soweto added that the assault will not dissuade them from the struggle against President Bola Tinubu-led government’s anti-poor policies, pledging, “The struggle continues until victory.”
