#ENDSARS protest continues in Lagos, youths insist on justice for victims of police brutality

The #ENDSARS protest persisted in Lagos on Wednesday. Youths converged at different locations of the city from the Island to the Mainland, chanting: “what do you want, end SARS” as they moved in large groups.

Though, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had on Sunday announced the dissolution of SARS. However, within 48 hours, the IG constituted a new squad, SWAT, to replace SARS. Several Nigerian citizens construed the IG as merely changing the nomenclature of the unit.

The youths, however, persisted in the struggle, demanding compensation for victims of police brutality in Nigeria; this was after their initial five demands had been accepted by the Presidential panel on Police reform. The youths insisted they want to see action not words from the government.

At the Lekki axis of the protest on Lagos Island, the youths defied the early morning rain to converge at the Toll Gate, putting on raincoats and others reporting there with umbrellas. The youths set up a registration unit at the Lekki Toll Gate location of the protest, opened register, urging victims of police brutality to come forward to register their encounters, which they intend to submit to Governor Babajide Sanw-Olu of Lagos State for compensation.

At the Berger axis, youths took over the inner-city road from Ojodu through Grammar School to Ogba. However, they were peaceful and controlling the flow of traffic.

The youths were joined by musicians and Nollywood actors and actresses in the entertainment industry, demanding freedom, total end to police brutality and extra-judicial killings.