#EndSARS: Police Brutalise Protesters in Abuja
Protesters demanding for an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force were today (Sunday) brutally dispersed in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The EndSARS protesters were dispersed with live bullets, water cannons and tear gas, according to the co-convener of the Centre for Liberty, Adebayo Raphael, who raised an alarm, saying ”Fellow Nigerians, we have just been tear-gassed. I can’t see well now. My glasses are damaged. Some got shot on the back of the head.”
”They used teargas. They shot at us directly, and they used their water cannons”, he added.
The protests to end SARS had been spreading in, especially, Southwestern Nigeria where the youth have taken to the street, carrying placards with inscriptions that indicate their aversion to the continuity of the special police unit.
Nigerian Sketch reported President Muhammadu Buhari to have indicated on Thursday that he would not proscribe SARS but would prefer that it is reformed.
The president was quoted to have said “I am being briefed regularly on the reform efforts ongoing to end police brutality and unethical conduct, and to ensure that the Police are fully accountable to the people.
“The IG already has my firm instructions to conclusively address the concerns of Nigerians regarding these excesses, and ensure erring personnel are brought to justice. I appeal for patience and calm, even as Nigerians freely exercise their right to peacefully make their views known.
“The vast majority of men and women of the Nigeria Police Force are patriotic and committed to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians, and we will continue to support them to do their job.”