Juliana Francis
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), has condemned the firing of canisters of teargas at peaceful Nigerians, who gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate today to mark the second year anniversary of the #EndSARS protest.
The organisation describes the actions as harassment, stressing that the #EndSARS protest of two years ago achieved nothing because the status quo remains with police officers still operating with impunity.
The Policy and Research Officer of CAPPA, Zikora Ibeh, said: “The #EndSARS protests of October 2020 was not just a movement, it was an awakening of national consciousness, and a loud call by the Nigerian youths for social justice and good governance. It’s quite unfortunate that despite the tragic termination of the protests, otherwise known as the Lekki Massacre by Nigerian security operatives on the night of October 20, 2020, and the chaos that followed afterwards, including the inauguration of Judicial Panels of Inquiry across states in the country to investigate the issues of police violence, nothing much has changed even now.”
She added: “As we saw with the harassment of and firing of teargas today at peaceful marchers commemorating the Lekki Tollgate massacre, the status quo remains the same with police officers still operating with impunity. Panel findings and recommendations have been left unaddressed and unimplemented with many victims of police brutality yet to receive appropriate compensation. Until true justice is served, and the Nigerian State divorces itself from all forms of oppression and discrimination of civic actors and citizens, we will never heal from the deep wounds of the #EndSARS protests of October 2020. In truth, the maiming and shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters against police brutality will forever remain a dent in our nation’s history, a tragedy that cannot be forgotten.”
