#EndSARS: Lagos Assembly holds emergency meeting, throws weight behind protest

*Protesters block Lagos highway

* Hashtag earns top spot in global trends

* Celebrities supporting protest desperate ‘for public validation’—Police

THE Lagos State House of Assembly on Friday held an emergency sitting over the ongoing #EndSARS protest rocking many states of the federation.

Some youth had kept vigil at the entrance of the Assembly yesterday over police brutality and extortion.

The house made a 7-point resolution during the sitting.

The lawmakers urged the Federal Government to put an end to the harassment, extortion, and intimidation of Nigerians by the operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

They also called on the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, to provide protection for the protesters, while they express their grievances.

The emergency sitting was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa.

Among the seven-point resolution passed after an extensive deliberation was that the Senate and the House of Representatives should carry out a probe of the allegations against F-SARS including killing, maiming and dehumanising of Nigerians.

The House resolved that the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State should protect End-SARS protesters in the state.

It also resolved that police should ensure that protesters are not molested and that they should stop unwarranted molestation of the youth by the FSARS and its counterparts in the State.

They demanded that the Senate President and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives should institute a public enquiry on the extra-judicial activities, killings, maiming and dehumanisation of the youths by the Anti- Robbery Squad; and ensure that the victims are duly compensated while erring officers are sanctioned appropriately.

“SARS should be proscribed and a new security outfit which will be more efficient with clearly spelt-out code of conduct and rule of engagements be established while sanction is imposed for the misdemeanuor.

“Mr President should ensure that culpable officials of SARS receive the punishment as prescribed by the National Assembly,” the lawmakers stated in their resolution.

The Assembly also directed its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Public Petitions to “liaise with the Commissioner of Police and Attorney General of the state to fashion out ways and means to address allegations of ruthlessness and extrajudicial killings contained in the petition against SARS in the state”.

The house demanded the intervention of the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

He was urged to engage relevant institutions “to protect lives and property in the state such that phones, laptops and other means of communication belonging to youths are not confiscated indiscriminately without a warrant.”

Meanwhile, Naija Times reliably gathered that while the Lagos Assembly was making its resolutions, #EndSARS protesters poured into one of the major highways in Lagos.

It was learnt that the Alausa Secretariat expressway which serves as a major route for commuters had been blocked by phalanx of bodies.

As a result of this development, hundreds of commuters were left stranded on the ever-busy highway.

Aggrieved youth barricaded the highway, chanting solidarity songs, which crippled vehicular and human movements, causing gridlocks on the highway.

The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, called for disbandment of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) over alleged harassment and extrajudicial killing of the citizens.

Protests and campaigns calling for proscription of the SARS over alleged harassment and extrajudicial killing entered its third day in various cities across the country.

From all indications the protest against the brutality of SARS may have started yielding results as the #EndSARS hashtag has gained global momentum on social media platforms, especially twitter with over 10 million tweets.

Several celebrities have joined protesters clamouring for the proscription of SARS, citing the ceaseless nightmares the police unit has caused Nigerians.

The hashtag, which is currently number one, is also trending alongside other hashtags: “#EndSarsNow #EndSarsProtests #EndSARSProtest #EndSARSImmediately” after gaining the attention of the international community.

But reacting to the wave of protests sweeping across many states of the federation, the Nigeria Police Force said many youth are using the #EndSARS protest to grow their fan base on social media.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme today.

He said, “I have seen some of those who are pushing for end SARS who are just pseudo-activists, people who are desperate for public validation, people who are looking to be seen as social media influencers and I will tell you these are the people that post false items, fake news.”

Mba said the media must be fair in its reportage as it relates to police brutality.
While justifying his claim that brutality is not peculiar to the men in uniform, the police spokesman said there were also videos of protesters killing and slapping policemen which were not trending.

It was learnt that Nigerians in Diaspora, especially those in the US, United Kingdom, Canada, UAE, have also joined the campaign by protesting at various embassies.

The protesters insisted that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad must be “completely disbanded.”