Abigail ErhiagbojeNigerian Content creator and citizen activist, Adebowale Adebayo known by his stage name “Mr Macaroni”, who was also a foremost figure at the #ENDSARS protest three years ago has led a peaceful walk to mark the third anniversary of the incident.
Mr Macaroni led a group of people, who Marched around the Lekki environs in Lagos, on Friday, 20 October 2023 in honour of the victims of #ENDSARS incident.
videos circulating on social media platforms, showed Mr Macaroni peacefully leading a crowd of people, holding banners, and singing sorrowful songs in remembrance of the victims.
In an interview with newsmen, he called for an “unconditional release” of protesters who are still in prison custody since October 2020 when the incident occured.
According to him, lawyers have been on the case and in spite of daily cries for their release, nothing has been done so far. So, the peaceful anniversary walk was another opportunity to plead for their release.
He expressed his love for the country and the zeal to see it become prosperous, hence his activism.
Macaroni said: “Some of us are still here because we love this country so much and we do not want the country to burn. We have always complained about the situation of things in Nigeria.
“We want things to be better in our own lifetime, not just for the Nigerian youths, but for the police themselves. They deserve better, why can’t they get good salaries?, why can’t they get good houses and cars?…but they need to realise that we too also deserve better.
“Nobody is going to be happy, if you are unjustly killing people, suffering them, exploiting them, oppressing them. Nobody will be happy about that…that’s why we always do this, so that people will never forget.”
He further stated that the purpose of the walk was to honour those who were killed during the ENDSARS protest, exactly three years ago on October 20, 2020.
According to him, they had completed the peaceful walk, but the police were hindering them from walking back.
“…We want to walk back, but the police don’t want us to walk back. We don’t want to give them a reason or an excuse to fire at us, we know, we have been on this since three years now and we know what is easy for them to do, what they are capable of doing, you understand. In as much as we have said that this is a very peaceful walk, we want it to remain so.”
Nevertheless, he advised everybody who attended the peaceful walk to return back to their respective homes, peacefully, as there was no cause for alarm. He pleaded with the people not to give the police a chance to shoot at them and urged everyone to keep up with the remembrance of the victims of the October 20, 2020, # ENDSARS Lekki toll gate massacre.
READ ALSO: #EndSARS Protests: What Has Changed Three Years On?
Mr Macaroni and others gathered, observed a one minute silence for the dead victims of the ENDSARS protest and victims of any form of police brutality in the country.
Alongside celebrities like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Rinu Oduala, Uncle Pamilerin, Aisha Yesufu, Davido, Falz and many others, Mr Macaroni had been a prominent figure at the #ENDSARS protest that took place on 20 October 2020. He, alongside his colleague Falz have continuously held a peaceful walk in remembrance of the tragic event over the years.
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