Izuchukwu OkosiThree years after the mindless killings of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll gate over call to end the menace of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), there has been no justice served for the victims and survivors of the EndSars movement.
This was the submission of Human Rights Activist and foremost Endsars protester, Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka on Friday.
The special crime unit were notorious for their inhumane treatment to Nigerian youths which culminated in the 20 October 2020 protests across Lagos and other parts of the country.
Speaking on Arise News on the third memorial of the incident, Adeyinka challenged the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the perpetrators of the killing of Nigerians at the Lekki Toll gate are brought to book.
“We heard that there’s no longer Sars but recently – earlier in this year – I encountered policemen at the Mile 2, Alaba Expressway. Most of them were not in uniform and they stopped us violently so I don’t know if I would agree that Sars has been disbanded,” Adeyinka stated.
“They asked my assistant who sat next to me to come down and they started searching him. He was not looking rough or threatening. He was not in dreadlocks or carrying laptops. So there was no need for the profiling. He is a regular guy, a youth coordinator for our party.
“We also experienced same kind of incident around Ogba, myself and the same guy.
Speaking on the expectation of those who were at the vanguard for the disbandment of Sars, Adeyinka said:
“We asked for Police reforms. That was the main goal for us. If the police can be reformed and their barracks well taken care of, maybe they well accepted by the government and in tien will treat us (citizens) better.
Asked if there has been marked improvement in how the police have treated youths in Nigeria, Adeyinka gave responded thus:
“There had been some progress but not significant enough. It was close to when President Buhari was leaving office that we could say there were slight progress. In theast four months of President Tinubu’s administration, I’ve not seen anything fantastic.
“The new ‘regime’ should be able to give us a soft landing to say who ordered the shooting at the Lekki Toll gate. I was there. I almost got killed. So if I had died, nobody will speak for me, that’s my parents’ loss.
“Who ordered the shooting? Don’t we have rights when we have concerns about the country we call our own?
On the need to document what has happened, Adeyinka assured that the call for justice will never be abandoned.
“When it comes to documenting history, we’ll continue to remember until justice is served. We expect that this new administration will attend to this matter because we have like 103 bodies awaiting mass burials. We’re not talking about Lekki roll gate alone. People died across Lagos.
“At the Lekki toll gate, I experienced five, six bodies that I carried. Somebody took my bullet and died on the spot. He covered me and took the bullet and died on the spot. Why did they rush to clean up the place over the night? What are they trying to hide?
“The panel has given their recommendation. We’re not saying that we’ll continue staying on the street. Let this recommendation be approved.
“They recommended that there was a massacre. That was their word in the report. They recommended that the survivors be compensated,” Adeyinka, who emphatically stated that she will not accept an offer to serve in the administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu unlike a few other colleagues who betrayed the activists, concluded.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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