Nigeria Rapper Folarin Falana ‘Falz‘, skit maker Adebowale Adedayo ‘Mr Macaroni‘, and others have staged a protest in Lagos, to mark the second anniversary of the #EndSARS memorial of October 20, 2020, today Thursday, 20th October, 2022.
Falz announced the #EndSARS memorial procession through posters posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday, 19th October, 2022, with the caption; “We will never ever forget. See you tomorrow”.
Mr Macaroni also took to his Instagram page to share same poster, and captioned it ‘”Peaceful Walk in honor of all Endsars and Police Brutality Victims!! 20/10/2022!!!”.
According to him, it is two years already,and they have not forgotten and we will never forget the event from 2020 EndSARS protest.
“It’s 2 Years now!! We haven’t forgotten and we will never forget!!
Different rallies have been happening across the country this month.
“Nobody or group hijacked it. Abeg we no wan hear say anybody wan hijack this one…
We didn’t hear that the Police arrested or brutalized anyone during the rally. Let’s maintain the same energy!.
“Lastly, please this is not a political rally. Banners of political parties or candidates should not be displayed. This is strictly to honor all our fallen heroes!!
God bless you”, he wrote.
#EndSARS is a decentralised social movement, and series of mass protests against police brutality in Nigeria. The slogan calls for the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, a unit of the Nigerian Police with a long record of abuse on Nigerian citizens. The protest takes its name from the slogan started in 2017 as a Twitter campaign using the hashtag #EndSARS to demand the disbanding of the unit by the Nigerian government. After experiencing a revitalisation in October 2020 following more revelations of the abuses of the unit, mass demonstrations occurred throughout the major cities of Nigeria, accompanied by vociferous outrage on social media platforms.
Some participants at the second #EndSARS Memorial Procession showed up with dummy coffins, flowers and stained Nigerian flags.
Protesters and civilians alike are currently fleeing the scene of the #EndSARSmemorial procession, as police used tear gas to disperse protester at the toll gate, in Lagos.
The spokesperson Lagos State police command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, has reacted to the incident in a tweet on his official Twitter handle, said the action of some protesters threatens the existing law and order in the area and are been dispersed with teargas.
“Peaceful persons were allowed to move around without interference from the police. Some of them that decided to be lawless and start mounting the toll complex, an action threatening the existing law and order in the area, were dispersed with teargas”, Hundeyin wrote.
“A stitch in time saves nine. They were already gathering at the toll gate as opposed to doing a peaceful procession. Minimal force was used. No injury or fatality”, he added.
Story: Asma’u Sani