Parents of EndSars Protest Victims Cry out for Justice After 3 Years

 
By Oluchi Chibuzor
 
Parents of some of the victims of the # EndSARS protest, which took place in 2020, have cried out for justice for their children and others still under persecution and prosecution.
 
It could be recalled that five years ago, streets across Nigeria were shaken with the chants of restless youths, their placards raised against police brutality and their voices echoing in unison to “EndSARS, End impunity!” This memorable event took place across the country, from Lagos to Abuja, from Port Harcourt to Jos, where young Nigerians confronted a system they believed had failed to protect them.
Sadly, after many years, many of the protesters are still under prosecution, and some were killed, while some have been declared fugitives, fearing for their lives to come back to their beloved country. Some of the victims lamented that the situation is scarred by violence, as well as the judgments handed down by panels and courts, and the long wait for justice by victims and their families.
 

EndSARS was the story of accumulated frustration. For decades, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), created in the 1990s to combat violent crime, had become synonymous with abuse. Instead of protecting citizens, SARS operatives were accused of turning Nigerian streets into hunting grounds.

 
What actually started online snowballed into the streets of Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Benin City, and across Nigeria. Thousands rallied in unprecedented numbers. It was not just about SARS; it was about dignity, accountability, and the right to live without fear of those meant to protect.
 
However, instead of addressing the government to address to alarming issue, it saw the protesters as perceived political enemies who must be crushed.
According to reports, many youths were allegedly killed, clamped into prison, while those released by the court were later declared criminals and fugitives who must answer to their alleged crimes.
 
Some parents and guardians of the EndSars victims, who spoke at a press conference held recently in Lagos to plead with the government to release their family members still in detention and those whose whereabouts are still unknown, said they haven’t seen their children for three years, doubting whether they are still alive or not.
 
One of the parents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said his son told him that he did think that they were incarcerated just because of the protest, but because they were perceived as opposition party members. He added that his son disclosed that he met many PDP members in the cell where he was locked in and brutalized, stating that he met Uba Chukwuma, Dosunmu Taiwo, Daniel Joy-Igbo, Yusuf Rafiu, Daniel Morka, and Olawale Marcus, all opposition party members in detention in the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos.
 
The spokesman of the concerned parents, who is a retired teacher, noted at the press briefing that even after the court had released them from prison, the law enforcement agencies were still breathing down their necks, asking them to appear in court weekly. He lamented that “some of the victims of the EndSars protest are still living in palpable fear, while some have disappeared from the scene, sparking fear of rearrest or being killed.
 
“We are calling on the government to, out of its magnanimity, release our children and stop the victimization of these innocent youths who were only protesting for a good life and a secure future.”
 
The EndSARS, which was famously described as a leaderless protest with no central committee, no political figure issuing directives, yet produced visible faces and voices who rallied the masses.
Dosunmu Taiwo, Morka, and Segun Awosanya, popularly known as Segalink, had long been critics of police brutality in Nigeria (and calling for reforms), and became an early reference point.

Also, celebrities such as Falz (Folarin Falana), comedian and activist Mr. Macaroni (Debo Adedayo), DJ Switch, Runtown, among many others, not only spoke but marched with protesters, lending star power to the streets. Others, including Davido, Tiwa Savage, and Burna Boy, used music and platforms to amplify the struggle.
Perhaps the most iconic was DJ Switch (Obianuju Udeh), who live-streamed the events of October 20, 2020, at the Lekki Toll Gate to over 150,000 viewers on Instagram. Her footage, showing chaos as soldiers opened fire, turned her into an international whistleblower. But the fame came with threats, forcing her into exile like many others who didn’t have the same fame she had built.