The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has lamented the plight of the victims of the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS Lekki Tollgate killings in Lagos by the Nigerian Army a year after, while appealing to the government for justice for them.
It also called for the release of all #EndSARS protesters being held at various police cells across the country.
The Executive Director of CAPPA, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, who spoke at the media presentation of “Lies and the Hail of Bullets” to commemorate one year of the #EndSARS Lekki Tollgate shootings in Lagos on Thursday, insisted that justice for victims must not be delayed or denied by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
He pointed out that the government, through the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, has for long compensated victims of SARS brutality, while ignoring families of the innocent youths gunned down by the military at Lekki Tollgate last year.
Oluwafemi, who disclosed that his organization, CAPPA, interacted with 16 victims of the state brutality during the #EndSARS protests, asked:
. Who invited the Army to the Lekki Tollgate?
. Who was the senior military man that asked the soldiers to stop shooting?
. Why won’t hospitals release extracted bullets from victims?
. Why the desperate, orchestrated cover up from government, its paid agents and proxies?
. Why is government so intolerant of even a memorial for the #EndSARS victims?
He however assured that #EndSARS would not die, stressing that events of October 20, 2021 were gory affirmation that the government was yet to learn any lessons.
According to him, the “Nigerian youths have spoken, government must listen.
Enough is enough! There must be end to police brutality in Nigeria.
“Nigerians are all demanding just and accountable government.
“There is no democracy without dissent; we are against attempts to erode our rights to basic freedoms as citizens. The police are for the citizens and not a regime protection force, or an elite protection force. We join the call for justice for all SARS victims, justice for all victims of #EndSARS protests including the driver that was assaulted and brutalized yesterday [Wednesday].
“We call for the release of all #EndSARS protesters being held at various police cells across the country. What Nigerian youths are calling for is accountability and good governance and we align totally with those demands.”
The CAPPA boss said that a new Nigeria must emerge from the ashes of #EndSARS to a nation of freedoms, dignity and human rights.
Source: Nigeria News Flight
