‘It still feels like yesterday’: Wounded EndSARS protesters recount bitter lessons

Femi Adepeju, Oluwaseun Ogedengbe, Ayinde Alade, and Edeh Emmanuel are young Nigerians that took part in the EndSARS protests in October 2020.

They participated actively in the outrage and call for the disbanding of a police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, calling for an end to police brutality and extrajudicial killings.

However, they also witnessed how the government allegedly responded with excessive force, including gunfire, and thugs.

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These protesters did not only experience the brash and brutal response by the government, but they also watched their colleagues killed, fatally wounded, and maimed during the onslaught of attacks.

Today, Wednesday, October 20, marks the first anniversary of that #EndSARS campaign and the Lekki tollgate shooting.

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And one year after, many of the protesters say they are still traumatised by the massacre, mayhem, and carnage unleashed in the aftermath of the protest.

However, they affirmed that they had no regrets for joining the EndSARS protests.

Many of the wounded ones told AF24NEWS that they now see their scars as badges of honour in their fight for a better Nigeria.

Adepeju joined the protest when it started at the Alausa area in Ikeja, Lagos State. He was part of those that coordinated activities at the protest ground and witnessed the spate of attacks allegedly by government-sponsored thugs.

“I joined the protest barely two days after it started. And I did a lot during the protest. I was part of the people that coordinated the feeding of protesters, and I also ensured that those wounded by thugs got money for their treatment,” he said.

READ ALSO > #EndSARSMemorial: Police arrest one, disperse youth protests in Osogbo

According to Adepeju, anti-ENDSARS thugs attacked them thrice. “The first and second attacks were minor when you compared them with the third attack. It was far deadlier,” he recounted.

“Thugs numbering 200 came in buses. They attacked us with weapons, and we ran. I witnessed the thugs surround a protester and cut him mercilessly with their cutlasses. Many protesters got severely injured. I sustained a deep long cut on my shin as I was running away from the thugs.

“But for me, I have no regrets at all. I’m happy to be part of EndSARS. I’m proud of the EndSARS movement because I did my part. I carried a bandage on my leg for several weeks, but it was worth it.”

Adepeju however admitted that they [protesters] made a strategic error. “One painful mistake we made in that protest was that we couldn’t gather the data of every protester. That would have helped us a lot. Because with data we would have known the people that are missing, alive, or injured. It would help us track everyone. It was a mistake we made.

“But even though many youths died in that protest, we’ll not let the fire die. What we are clamouring for is a system change, and we must get it. I tell you today that many youths are still languishing in prison custody for no reason other than being part of the EndSARS protest.”

Adepeju foresees another protest happening again because according to him, the government has learned no lesson from the EndSARS protest.

He said, “There are still many issues raised by the October 2020 protests that haven’t been addressed by the government. Honestly, there is a very high possibility that another massive protest would happen again. And I fear that it might not be organised or engineered. It would be deadlier, and it would be triggered when the youths are pushed to the wall again.

“EndSARS started after security officers kept shooting and killing people. But I can’t say exactly what can trigger such protests again.”

Ogedengbe is another that partook in the protest. He was among those attacked and severely wounded on the head by thugs.

Just like Adepeju, Ogedengbe also shared some of the bitter lessons learned from the protest. “It still worries me that the government unleashed thugs on us, and yet denied it.

“But I still believe in the cause that we are fighting for. So I don’t regret it at all. I can never regret being at the forefront of the call for a better Nigeria.

“My only regret is being led by politicians that don’t value the lives of the masses. Rulers that don’t care about developing their communities, politicians that only care about their selfish ambitions and greed. I will still come out to protest again. I will do so again and again and again till we topple bad governments and evil politicians in power.

“One lesson that I learned is that when you are fighting a system that orchestrates darkness, you need to be wise and vigilant because you’re coming against an institution that pretends to be for the masses but is entrenched in wickedness. So do not throw caution to the wind, because that was how they hijacked the protest from us,” Ogedengbe said.

Also, Alade told AF24News how he was brutally cut by thugs at the protest ground last year.

He said, “I was wounded twice at the protest ground. In the third attack, they came with plenty of BRT buses belonging to the Lagos State Government. We saw them but didn’t suspect anything, because some of these hoodlums used to come and encourage our protests. No one knew that they were spies.

READ ALSO > #EndSARS Anniversary: Two Persons Reportedly Arrested at Lekki Tollgate

“They started to destroy our tents. I went to one of them that was always very present with us at the protest ground. I wanted to know why they had turned against us and were destroying our tents. I didn’t know that he too had been bought over. They all surrounded me, they started beating me! They attacked me, smashing their cudgels on my head.

“I never knew I would even survive that beating. I was bedridden for over weeks treating my wounds.

“My parents never wanted me to be part of protests. But I refused to sit on the fence because I knew we were fighting for our future. We were fighting for a better Nigeria for our children and children’s children. And till today, I have no regrets at all.”

Another protester is Emmanuel, who was at the Lekki toll gate and narrowly escaped being hit by bullets. “It’s been one year after EndSARS, but it still feels like yesterday,” he said amid tears.

“I witnessed the shooting. The Nigerian Army shot dead at least 10 protesters in Lekki. I am among the lucky survivors. And after the shooting, I remained indoors for weeks because of fear.

“That night we were surprised that the army came to the toll gate. We had heard of the uprising at Orile, how hoodlums highjacked the protest and burnt down the police station. But we remained peaceful at Lekki. Yet youths were killed.

“The EndSARS protests and the Lekki shooting have remained in mind. And I will never forget the wickedness we got from our government because we cried out against police brutality,” he said.

Lost opportunity for government

Speaking on the protest, police reform advocate, Okey Nwanguma, of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, described the EndSARS protests as a lost opportunity for the government to initiate comprehensive police reforms that will address the challenges and concerns raised by Nigerians during the protest.

He urged the government to ensure strict implementation of the state judicial panels’ reports. According to him, such moves will go a long way in stamping out impunity in Nigeria’s police system.

“The opportunity provided by EndSARS has been bungled. Police authorities are still issuing Illegal orders banning peaceful protests and assembly – which are constitutionally guaranteed human rights,” Nwanguma said.

“Government has moved from denials to partial admission and attempts to cover up the truth regarding what happened at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020. There is no accountability yet for the perpetrators of police abuse. Impunity is still rife and the rule of law is in retreat.

“Nigerians are waiting to see the government implement the recommendations of the various state judicial panels of inquiry with regard to bringing perpetrators to account. That’s one way the state will send a clear message that it will not condone human rights violations. It is one way to stamp out impunity for police abuses.

“The Nigeria Police must commit themselves to the professional standards of the police in a democracy. The police must be the protectors of human rights and the rule of law and not predators and lawbreakers,” he added.