Year after Nigeria's deadly protests, police still accused

LAGOS, Nigeria — Joshua Samuel painfully recalls the day, 1 twelvemonth ago, erstwhile Nigerian soldiers opened occurrence successful Lagos portion helium and thousands of others were protesting constabulary brutality.

“People were moving and immoderate were falling,” the 23-year-old said of the Oct. 20, 2020, shootings astatine the Lekki toll gross plaza successful Lagos. “I was changeable successful the back.”

Still recuperating from his injuries, he’s retired of enactment and stateless and has not received immoderate assistance from the government.

“I americium not OK. Every azygous connection I americium speaking, I americium feeling pain,” helium told The Associated Press.

Samuel is among much than 100 Nigerians awaiting rulings connected their petitions seeking compensation and justness for what they allege are abuses by police. They made their applications to a authorities sheet reviewing some the Oct. 20, 2020, shootings and earlier allegations of constabulary brutality that inspired the protests.

The protests erupted successful Lagos against a constabulary portion known arsenic the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, oregon SARS, which faced wide accusations of brutality, unwarranted arrests and bribery. Dubbed the #EndSARS movement, they climaxed a twelvemonth agone Wednesday, erstwhile 38 protesters were killed nationwide, according to Amnesty International’s Nigerian office.

Another 69 protesters and constabulary were killed successful the much than weeklong unrest that preceded the Oct. 20, 2020, killings, with galore authorities facilities and constabulary stations acceptable ablaze, according to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari vowed his authorities would not let specified a breakdown of bid again, and constabulary deployment was dense connected Wednesday’s anniversary, with hundreds turning retired to show and constabulary firing teardrop gas. At slightest 4 radical were arrested and others picked up during the chaotic situation.

The anti-robbery squad was accused of illegally arresting, torturing and extorting mostly young Nigerians, according to tribunal hearings and victims’ testimonies. From 2017 to 2020, Amnesty International said it uncovered 82 cases of torture and killings of suspects by anti-robbery squad personnel, with small oregon nary enactment from authorities.

In response, Nigerian authorities scrapped the constabulary portion and announced they would prosecute constabulary reforms and guarantee justness for victims.

However, Damian Ugwu of Amnesty International’s Nigerian office, said helium believes authorities person nary “intention of fulfilling those promises.”

In Nigeria, tribunal actions seeking justness for victims of alleged constabulary brutality are usually slow, portion galore officers accused of maltreatment are not prosecuted oregon look immoderate different repercussions.

And portion the SARS portion has been disbanded, galore Nigerians accidental constabulary brutality continues.

Ayobami Adesina, 29, was sleeping successful his location successful southwest Oyo authorities erstwhile constabulary stormed successful past November and arrested him. For 2 weeks his household searched for him reasoning helium had been kidnapped, said his sister Kemi Adesina.

They yet learned that helium was successful constabulary custody on with 10 others accused of sidesplitting constabulary officers during the anti-SARS protests. Adesina spent six months successful situation earlier helium was adjacent taken to court, his sister said, and his proceedings is proceeding slowly.

“(There is) nary due grounds and thing to constituent that helium did this,” she said.

More than 200 #EndSARS protesters are inactive successful situation successful Lagos and immoderate person not been charged with immoderate transgression oregon adjacent had a tribunal appearance, according to Nicholas Mba, who was released connected bail aft spending 8 months successful situation accused of arson during the October 2020 protests. He inactive faces trial.

“The archetypal nighttime of being successful situation was the worst time of my life,” helium said. “We were much than 1,000 arrested implicit #EndSARS and immoderate person not been taken to court, portion immoderate bash not adjacent cognize however to pass with their families,” the 33-year-old said.

Oke Ridwan, a lawyer who offered ineligible services to arrested protesters, said helium helped triumph the merchandise of astatine slightest 70 radical whose charges were aboriginal dropped.

After the protests, Nigerian authorities acceptable up judicial panels successful each authorities and the capital, Abuja, to code the wide allegations of constabulary brutality and calls for compensation for those changeable oregon arrested during the demonstrations.

In Lagos, the sheet has considered implicit 235 grievance petitions, according to Tony Eze, who represents the Nigerian Bar Association astatine the hearings.

At slightest $637,470 has been awarded to 47 petitioners, but many, including 39-year-old Nicholas Okpe, are inactive awaiting the panel’s decision.

He told the AP helium was changeable successful the thorax and a twelvemonth aboriginal inactive has an unfastened sore from the slug wound, but helium can’t spend aesculapian treatment. He said helium hasn’t received immoderate assistance from the government.

“I conscionable convey God I americium alive. I person not worked since that day,” said Okpe, who was a autobus operator earlier helium was shot, grimacing successful pain.

Dozens of petitions inactive stay unanswered and astatine slightest 9 states person indefinitely postponed their proceedings, Amnesty International and petitioners told the AP.

One of those whose petition has been delayed is Chijioke Iloanya, who was arrested by SARS operatives successful 2012 successful southeast Anambra state. The household aboriginal learned helium had died successful constabulary custody, his sister Obianuju Iloanya said. The AP could not independently corroborate what led to his death.

Ugwu with Amnesty International said challenges see secretive sheet hearings successful immoderate states, deficiency of funds, the nonaccomplishment of constabulary officers to look and the incessant adjournment of the panels proceeding petitions.

“We request a peculiar tribunal that volition look astatine issues of cardinal quality rights cases successful Nigeria,” lawyer Ridwan said. “And they volition besides beryllium empowered to really punish officers.”