#EndSARS: Six years after, Global Rights demands justice for victims, others

As Nigerians commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate massacre, Global Rights has extended invite to the Nigerian people, its government, in particular the Presidency, and the security forces to pause and reflect on this tragic incident in which at least 135 protesters were extrajudicially killed across the country during the #EndSARS protest.

The Executive Director of Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, in a statement maintains that six years after this tragic event, accountability that is commensurate with the gravity of the atrocities committed is still elusive.

However, they believes that the arc of the moral universe however long will eventually bend towards justice!

“The demands that brought Nigerians to the streets in 2020 remain largely unmet, and the pattern of impunity has persisted.

“In the more recent incident of the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, Global Rights documented the killing of at least 31 protesters by Police across several states and the arbitrary arrest of 1135 protesters, including children as young as 13 years old. To date, there has been no accountability for these killings either.

“Even more worrisome is the fact that this trend is unrelenting. Since that incident, Global Rights has recorded at least 545 extrajudicial killings by security forces across the country.

“The repression and continued use of excessive force against protesters, the killing of citizens exercising their constitutional and fundamental human rights, and the continued brazen impunity for security personnel responsible for such violations further expose the hollowness of claims that the grievances that gave rise to #EndSARS have been adequately addressed.”

The rights advocate reiterates that the #EndSARS protests were a nationwide demand for an end to police brutality, unlawful arrests, extortion, torture, and the impunity enjoyed by security personnel.

“Wearied since colonial brutality against citizens, and having endured decades of the savagery of military juntas, Nigerians were hopeful that under a democratically elected government, their rights would be respected and that they would be treated with dignity by the security force that is funded by their taxes to protect them.

“After two decades, realizing that change was not forthcoming, they took to the streets to demand a transparent police force that respects the rights of citizens and is not a continuum of the colonial regime or military dictatorship.

“As we soberly reflect on the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre, we are reminded that these acts of impunity are a stark demonstration of Nigeria’s failure to value and protect the lives of its citizens”

“In spite of forensic evidence captured on live video footage, the government brazenly denied its occurrence.

“However, in response to the relentless pursuit of justice by active citizens and civil society actors, in 2021, the Lagos State Judicial Panel set up to investigate the incident found that the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force were complicit in the shooting of unarmed protesters.

“The panel weighed several irrefutable, documented violations and made recommendations for accountability, compensation, and security-sector reform. Again, the Lagos State Government subsequently rejected key findings of the report.

“Concomitantly, in 2024, the ECOWAS Court of Justice found the Nigerian state culpable of human rights violations arising from the incident and ordered a new investigation, prosecution of the agents responsible, and compensation for victims.

“Yet, two years after the judgment, its award has not been fully implemented, and those responsible have not been held to account through the process ordered by the court.

“Rather than comply with the order of the court, on October 20th, 2024, Police officers harassed and arrested protesters observing a solemn assembly to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate.

“The right to life, freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are binding obligations, not privileges that the state may choose to respect.

“Where security personnel violate these rights, the government has a duty to investigate, ensure accountability, and provide effective remedies.

“The failure to guarantee accountability is not just a violation of the social contract between the state and citizens; it is the precursor to deep distrust of the state and will lead to the steady erosion of the cohesion that holds the nation together.

“Nigeria’s perennial insecurity is fast eroding the bonds that bind its people together. Its intractable hydra-headed political and extremist are in part driven and sustained by this trust deficit.

“In order to extricate the nation from this vicious cycle, the Government of Nigeria must urgently do the following:

“Immediately implement the ECOWAS Court judgment on the Lekki massacre.

“Create public platforms for transparency around the accountability of the Lekki shootings and other extrajudicial atrocities. In essence, the government must disclose the steps it has taken to investigate the incident, the status of any disciplinary or criminal proceedings, and the measures being pursued to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

“Urgently and effectively make reparations for victims and their families, and guarantee the right to peaceful assembly.

“We further demand that the Lagos State Government publicly account for its response to the Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s recommendations, specifying what has been implemented, what remains outstanding, and the steps required to give effect to the recommendations it accepted.

“Six years ago, we promised to stand with the victims and their families however long it takes for the arc of the moral universe to bend towards justice for them, and indeed every citizen of Nigeria. Global Rights has not reneged on this promise.

“We remain standing in solidarity with all those who continue to demand an end to police brutality and the right of citizens to protest. We honour the courage of those who stood up and keep standing for their rights and reaffirm that no state institution is above the law.”

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