ENDSARS Commemorative Guest Article – Where are we as a nation one year after the loss of lives at the Lekki Toll Gate on the 20th of October 2020? – Glory Ifezue Foundation for Women and Youth Initiative.

“The ENDSARS Protest was the largest demonstration and social movement against police brutality and human rights violations in Nigeria’s history.”
Philip Ochika

In this ENDSARS Commemorative Guest Article, Philip Ochika provides his deeply reflective thoughts on what his thoughts are on the ENDSARS and the state of the nation today.

Disclaimer:
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of Glory Ifezue Foundation. Glory Ifezue Foundation is not responsible and does not verify for accuracy any of the information contained in the Guest articles published on this website. The primary purpose of these Guest articles are to educate and inform and create a platform for Nigerians, as well as anyone, who have thoughts to share on policy issues affecting governance in the country.

The EndSARS protest was a demonstration against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, which was formed in 1992 as a special police force to combat the rising number of armed robberies and kidnappings for ransom by criminal elements operating across Nigeria. According to a Vanguard News source here, Simeon Danladi Midenda, a retired Commissioner of Police, was one of the pioneers in founding the squad in 1992.

Who would have believed that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, formed to protect the people, would turn out to be a deadly squad against the people?

Prior to the EndSARS protest, the Nigeria Police Force’s SARS unit was accused of police brutality, extortion, and unlawful killings. This has revealed the eroding structure of “Nigeria’s Policing and Law Enforcement,” as well as how negligent some officials of the Nigerian police have exercised “discretion” in fighting cybercrime and other criminal activities.

Discretion refers to the availability of options or actions in a given scenario. It entails making judgments or decisions based on an informed investigation into a suspected criminal activity, but SARS made life even more difficult for innocent and hardworking youths aged 18 to 35, who are 52.8 percent of the population, according to the National Bureau of Statistics 2012 National Baseline Youth Survey.

Following widespread demonstrations across the country, the former Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni, on October 11, 2020, dissolved the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they had previously existed, according to the Premium Times here.

Twelve months ago, on the night of October 20, 2020, at the Lekki Toll Gate, social media footage of men identified as military officers shot at innocent protestors, but Nigerian military officials denied killing unarmed protesters, claiming that soldiers had simply shot blank bullets according to BBC Africa’s report here.

Several people were reportedly murdered. We will never forget Jimoh Ishaq, Ikechukwu Ilohamauzo, (see this Report) and many more whose deaths went undocumented. Their sole offense was exercising their constitutionally protected right to peaceful protest.

Twelve months ago, the protesters made five demands as seen in this Report in the Vanguard Newspaper:

Immediate release of all arrested protesters.
Justice for all deceased victims of police abuse, as well as adequate
compensation for their families.
Establishing an impartial agency to oversee the investigation and prosecution of
all allegations of police wrongdoing (within 10days).
In accordance with the police legislation, all disbanded SARS officers must
undergo psychiatric evaluation and retraining (as validated by an impartial agency)
before being redeployed.
Increase police salaries so that they are fairly compensated for protecting
citizens’ lives and property.

One year after making those demands, the police’s use of discretion is still deplorable and barbaric. On September 19, 2021, the Police Command in Edo State announced the arrest of one of its personnel for firing a shot that killed a passenger in Benin. According to one Report seen here, SP Kontongs Bello, the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, revealed that the officer, who is part of the command’s “anti-kidnap and cybercrime team,” was attempting to apprehend a murder suspect when he fired a shot to restrain the running suspect.

In the same month, TheCable News reported here that on September 12, 2021, an 18-year-old girl named Monsurat Ojuade was killed during a police raid in Surulere’s Ijesha axis in Lagos. Earlier this year, on July 3, 2021, a 14- year-old girl known as Jumoke was also murdered by a stray bullet from a police officer, according to this Report by Sahara Reporters.

On 19 September 2021, the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters adjourned indefinitely. The suspension was announced by the panel’s Chairperson, Justice Doris Okuwobi (retd), who stated that the break is needed to “analyze, consolidate, and make findings” on the Lekki shootings, according to this source. One year later, it is disheartening to learn that records are still being compiled to determine whether or not anybody died. Premium Times reports here that President Muhammadu Buhari has just approved N13.3 billion for the launch of the country’s Community Policing initiative on Monday, October 11th, 2021. Our nation’s policing will not improve unless it is fully implemented.

With more emphasis on “Policing and security” in Nigeria, it is obvious that one area in which the police officer must be retrained is in the Sociological Perspective on Police Discretion as rightly pointed out in this academic article. The use of discretion by the police rests on two levels; (a).Individual level and (b). Command or Departmental levels.

At the individual level, discretion involves the choice of alternative actions by the individual police officer, including taking no action at all. It requires the use of individual judgment to decide what to look for, where to patrol, whom to investigate, and so on. At the command or departmental level, discretion involves decisions regarding objectives of the police force, enforcement policies, deployment of manpower and resources, and so on.

In most police organizations, the widest use of discretion is found with the lowest ranking policemen, especially the patrol officer who maintains regular contact with the public. Therefore, he or she usually has the first or initial contact with either the criminal or the scene of crime.

One year after the killings at the Lekki Toll Gate, this is where we are as a nation. A significant number of our police officers on patrol are still failing with exercising discretion, as result, there will be more unlawful killings. Therefore we must reinstate the five demands until they become part of our nation’s policing culture.

We remember our fallen heroes who fought against police brutality until their death, and we pledge to continue the nonviolent revolution of cleansing Nigeria at all costs. Every Nigerian youth, from all tribes and religions, must commit to speaking out against bad governance and demanding accountability until we see the Nigeria of our dreams.

Philip Ochika is a Data analyst with RoadPreppers Technologies and co-founder of “The Happy Hour Group,” a social organization that supports young people and helps them achieve happiness in their relationships with loved ones through counseling, mentorship, and skill empowerment.

Catch up with him on his Social media handles: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/philipochika; Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/@D_SpeechWriter. Or contact him on +2349034217698.