Fear of another #EndSARS protests grips Abuja, Lagos, police on standby

 

Police are set for a showdown with youths over the second phase of the #EndSARS protests.

The protests are billed to begin on Monday in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other cities.

There was anxiety as various police commands yesterday warned against such gatherings.

The organisers, who raised awareness on the social media, said the second phase was to demand the release of all protesters detained following the first phase.

They also want restrictions on all accounts of #EndSARS leaders at the instance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lifted.

Destroyed, vandalised or looted were 269 private and companies’ assets during the #EndSARS protests.

No less than 243 government facilities were burnt or vandalised and 81 warehouses looted.

In Edo, Lagos, Abia, Delta, Ondo and Ebonyi states, 1,957 inmates were set free from eight Medium Security Custodial Centres and 31 employees of the Prisons Service injured.

There were about 196 injured policemen, 164 destroyed police vehicles and 134 burnt police stations.

Supporters of the planned protests, which have remained a trending topic across social media platforms since last week, said they were undeterred by the threats by security operatives.

Some asked the police and government to go after those who wreaked havoc, during the first phase of the #EndSARS protests and bring them to justice.

They said labelling #ENDSARS protesters as criminals will not demoralise them.

THE FRESH DEMANDS

• Release of all detained protesters

• Defreezing of accounts by CBN

Bisi Oluwagbemileke wrote: “#EndSARS, where are we meeting tomorrow (today)? I just want us to keep applying pressure and retweeting aggressively. I am ready with my joggers and canvas. Let’s hit the road.”

Ayobami Olunloyo said: “To label #EndSARS as simply being about police reform, is a grave error. It (was) is about societal reform. Police brutality was merely a trigger and the final straw for too many citizens who do not deserve to be brutalised randomly or to live in fear and terror.”

Wondering why the police banned protests, Abayomi Agbomire asked why the service was not going after its operatives that protested in Katsina over alleged unpaid salaries.

“When will @PoliceNG understand that #EndSARS is a positive thing for them as well?” he queried.

Dave said: “Expect the worse from soro soke generation. Enough is enough. Our movement is solid and our energy is unmatched.”

Police issue warnings

Spokesman for the police in Lagos, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said no such gathering would be permitted.

He said in a statement that some unpatriotic individuals and groups were planning to embark on the replica of the recent destructive and violent protests that unleashed pains and agony on Lagos.

The statement reads: “The command has reliably gathered intelligence that certain individuals/groups have concluded plans to lure unsuspecting Lagosians, especially youths, into their planned protest which is proposed to commence December 7 (today) at designated locations in the state.