Nigerians Take #ENDSARS Campaign To Police Headquarters

With the prosecution of the killers of  Kolade Johnson at the top gear, some Nigerians have taken #ENDSARS Campaign to the Nigerian Police Headquarters.

It was another worryingly recurrent display of extrajudicial killing and police brutality. Although the Lagos State Police Command has arrested and dismissed the anticultism operatives that were involved in the killing of the youth, the big challenge of police brutality and extrajudicial killings remain.

Live at the Police headquarters for the #EndSARS rally. https://t.co/ghNCIyfPWW

— Comrade Deji Adeyanju (@adeyanjudeji) April 5, 2019

According to the state police spokesman, Bala Elkana, the judgment was served in an orderly room trial by the police and found Inspector Ogunyemi Olalekan guilty of “discreditable conduct by acting in a manner prejudicial to discipline and unbecoming of members of the force by shooting and killing Kolade Johnson; unlawful and unnecessary exercise of authority by using unnecessary violence, using AK 47 rifle on the deceased in total neglect to the provisions of Force Order 237 on the use of Firearms.

https://twitter.com/AriyoAristotle/status/1114086791198453760

“There was no evidence linking the second defaulter, Sergeant Godwin Orji, to the shooting. He was therefore found not guilty and discharged and acquitted. Inspector Olalekan is hereby handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department, Panti for prosecution in conventional court,” Elkana said.

Two weeks earlier, Inspector Ogunyemi Olalekan, alias ‘Omo Eko’ had been exposed on the social media for alleged extortion and harassment around Gbagada area of Lagos. He was identified as the same officer, whose picture was posted on Twitter by Oluwasegun Haziz on March 22, with a young man prostrating before him.

I’m here at the Police headquarters for the #EndSARS protest. #EndPoliceBrutality pic.twitter.com/uLI9IiUxYR

— Comrade Deji Adeyanju (@adeyanjudeji) April 5, 2019

In the post, Haziz appealed to the Complaint Response Unit (CRU), headed by Abayomi Shogunle, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), to caution the inspector for alleged illegal activities, which he witnessed following the arrest of his colleague at Queens Street, Sabo, Yaba. He alleged that his colleague and others were dragged down from a commercial bus while they were returning from lunch, because of their hairstyles, and taken to a corner at Gbagada Police Station, where they were asked to each bring N50,000.

Haziz, who alleged that he paid ₦5,000 for his colleague’s release after calling someone, who intervened, added that he witnessed another victim pay N50,000 because nobody pleaded on his behalf.

The series of tweets were also accompanied with a photograph of a half-clad young man with ‘funny hairstyle,’ prostrating on the dirt-strewn ground before the burly figure in mufti.

Nigerians on social media slammed the police, especially the CRU, for not taking action when the officer was reported two weeks ago. They lamented that if the inspector had been investigated, Kolade’s death might have been prevented.