The Lagos State Police Command has released the EndSARS protesters arrested earlier this morning during a commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate shooting.
The arrests took place as demonstrators gathered to honor victims of the October 20, 2020, incident where soldiers allegedly opened fire on peaceful protesters.
This was confirmed by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who announced the protesters’ release on his official X account, stating that Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olanrewaju Ishola, personally oversaw the process.
“All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on the ground at the SCID to personally ensure this,” Hundeyin wrote.
Despite the release, the reasons behind the arrest remain unclear. Hundeyin did not respond to inquiries regarding the justification for the detentions, and attempts to contact him were met with busy signals.
In a video shared on social media, some of the arrested protesters claimed they were physically assaulted by police officers simply for assembling to remember the victims of the 2020 Lekki shootings.
Hassan Taiwo Soweto, National Spokesman for the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), confirmed the release and described the police’s actions as brutal.
“We have just been released after the Commissioner of Police came to Panti police station, pleading hypocritically,” Soweto recounted.
He added, “The whole brutalization, assault, and arrest occurred in his presence.”
Soweto further alleged that many of the protesters had been injured during the police assault, with one protester bleeding from the nose and others subjected to inappropriate conduct.
“One male comrade was stripped naked, and we had to tie his trousers with a rope to preserve his dignity,” he said.
The YRC spokesman denounced the police actions as a violation of human rights, especially on a day meant to honor those killed during the EndSARS protests.
He vowed that their fight for justice would continue, adding, “We want justice, and we won’t stop until we get it.”
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong also confirmed the release of the 22 activists, stating that he had secured their freedom after a conversation with the Commissioner of Police.
Effiong, who was involved in the negotiations, also disclosed that the items confiscated from the protesters were returned to them.
Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, also condemned the arrests and said the protesters were beaten before being transported in a Black Maria van to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti, Yaba.
A video shared by an X user, Frednardo da Vinci, showed the arrested protesters singing solidarity songs inside a moving vehicle, with one activist stating: “We have just been arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate where we marched to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the victims of EndSARS.”
The release of the protesters comes amidst growing calls for justice in the aftermath of the 2020 Lekki shootings, which continue to be a highly sensitive and polarizing issue in the country.