Police seal #EndSARS event venue in Enugu

Group flays neglect of protesters’ demands, one year after
Attempts by some civil society organisations (CSOs) in Enugu State to commemorate last year’s #EndSARS tragedy were yesterday prevented by the police, who allegedly blocked the venue of the event.

Chairman of Enugu State Network for Civil Society Organisations/Regional Coordinator for Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS), Emmanuel Acha, disclosed that the CSOs booked Centre for Memories, at Independence Layout, Enugu, to hold symposium to mark the #EndSARS anniversary.

“Unfortunately, when we came to the centre this morning to put one or two things together before 10a.m. we scheduled for the event, the owner of the centre told us that we could not make use of the place again; that the police threatened to seal the centre if they allowed us to hold the event,” he said.

Acha said the action was part of efforts to shrink the civic space in the state, adding that all attempts to get another centre in the state capital for the event proved abortive.

He, however, explained that they were not planning any protest, but to stay in a place and discuss issues around the #EndSARS protest.

Efforts to get the police for reaction were unsuccessful.

MEANWHILE, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has condemned the governments’ inability to implement the demands of the #EndSARS protesters one year after.

In a statement, yesterday, signed by the Executive Director, Nelson Nwafor, and the Head, Corporate Accountability and Human Rights Enforcement, Femisi Akande, the group condemned the development.

The statement entitled titled ‘EndSARS Protests: One Year After, What has changed?’ reads: “After over 25 panels were set up by state governments to look into issues of police brutality leading to the massive protests, nothing has been done in terms of restorative justice, neither has any indicted officer been summarily tried and prosecuted by the Federal Government nor has implementation of panels’ reports begun in earnest. The question of police reform is still far-fetched, to say the least.

“This represents the greatest injustice of the 21st century against the youth in Nigeria, especially against those who died as a result of police brutality and other forms of violence from state actors and custodians of arms.”

According to the group, despite all impediments, there would be a press conference and other gatherings in Aba to commemorate the event.