Amnesty International, a Global human rights advocacy group has revealed that many victims and survivors of brutality by the defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad SARS including those who testified at the judicial panels set up by state governments to address cases of police brutality and human rights violations, are yet to get justice.
The rights body stated that this was despite resolutions made by panels and promises made by the government to compensate the victims.
In a report to track the effectiveness of the Anti-Torture Act of 2017, Amnesty said,
“Many victims and survivors including those who testified at the #EndSars judicial panels are yet to receive the justice they deserved, despite the conclusion of the work of panels and government’s promise to implement the recommendations.”
In October 2020, numerous youths across Nigeria took to the streets to demand an end to extrajudicial killings by SARS operatives, as well as police brutality, harassment, and bad governance.
On October 20, 2020, when the demonstration was at its climax, security operatives were said to have opened fire on the protesters at the Lekki tollgate, Lagos State.
Amnesty decried the government’s insincerity in its fight against brutality, noting that it had continued to document credible testimonies of torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment by security agencies such as the police, military, and the State Security Services.
The Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said the failure of the government to enforce the act was further empowering the perpetrators of torture.
“It is worrisome that the Anti-Torture Act is yet to find its footing in Nigeria as the pervasive use of torture shows, enacting a law that criminalises torture, whilst turning a blind eye on acts of torture empowers the perpetrators while silencing the victims. It appears the Anti-Torture Act exists only on paper,” he said.
He also said that the 2020 #EndSARS demonstration was a wake-up call for the government to stop torture and ensure that victims received justice.
Reliable sources have also revealed that some youths arrested in connection to the #ENDSARS protest since 2020, were yet to be released.
In Oyo State, about 10 youths arrested since 2020, are still in detention, facing charges in the court, a source, who does not want to be mentioned, said.
A source, identified simply as Banwo, who was also a protester at the Lagos Lekki #ENDSARS told newsmen that some others, numbering up to four, are still in Kikiri Correctional Centre till now.
Banwo, who attended their first hearing on Friday, June 24, 2022, said the detainees were suffering poor legal proceedings, causing them to be continually detained since 2021.
“Ismail Muftao is the only one detained in Kirikiri maximum prison while three others are in medium prison. They were arrested two days after the #EndSARS massacre at different locations. Sodiq Sulaimon and Yahaya Mustapha were arrested at the ijora. Ismail muftao was arrested in Ikorodu in his residence by some All Progressives Congress thugs.
“He was beaten and macheted, he was detained without treatment and access to family and lawyers. Ismail also said a Supol Yemi tortured him and wrote a statement on his behalf.
“Daniel Joyibo was arrested at Wilmot Point Road, Victoria Island 106104, Lagos road, on his way to the harbour point where he works as a gardener. They all haven’t been to court since December 17, 2021, until today June 24, 2022, whereby the case was postponed to September 30,” Banwo said.
He said further enquiries with the court officials revealed that they were given dates after December 17, last year but the prison allegedly refused to bring them to court due to “orders from above.”
He also noted that the reason for the long adjournment was a result of the of the judiciary’s yearly vacation which commences July 25 till September 16.
He said while interacting with them, the inmates lamented the overcrowded sleeping conditions and starvation, saying, “they have to do hard labour for other rich prisoners in the yard to make money to buy food in detention.”