ENDSARS Protest: Atleast 30 Protesters Are Still Locked Up In Prison

After spending two years in Kirikiri Maximum prison since 2020, two #EndSARS protesters were released from detention Wednesday night.

This is coming barely five days after Charityreporters reported that 32 protesters were still locked in Lagos and Oyo prisons since the 2020 protest against the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The two protesters released from prison are Yahaya Mustapha and Sodiq Sulaimon.

According to the leader of the Take It Back Movement, an organisation fronting their release, Banwo Olagoikun, Our correspondence report was impactful, noting that it cleared doubts that protesters were still in prison.

“It cleared so many doubts that #EndSARS detainees were still in prison.

“In fact, previous charityreporters reports made impact on the cases too because it’s becoming shameful for the state,” Olagookun affirmed.

Speaking with charityreporters, a sister to Sulaimon, Muimunat, sounded happy while confirming the release of her brother. “I was a little ill, but when I got the joyous news, I could not be grateful to God enough,” she said, while appreciating charityreporters.

Speaking , the lawyer to the detainees, Ayo Ademiluyi, said that the struggle was not yet Uhuru.

Ademiluyi, in a conversation with our correspondent, Thursday morning, said, “It’s a long walk to freedom. They are just few lucky ones at the moment among thousands of people still held under trumped up charges by the Lagos State Government in its punitive exploitation in order to crucify the struggle of young people on the altar of prolonged state-promoted detention. We are calling on the Attorney General of the state to hasten action based on the report of the judicial panel of enquiry on SARS abuse and other related matters to release all these victim’s of prolonged state detention.

“We are also prepared to undertake all actions within the ambit of the law against the Lagos State Government and its prosecution of these persons.”

Ademiluyi noted that three persons had actually being released, citing a case of one that was earlier released before Sulaimon and Mustapha.

He, however, noted that the release of the three was not the goal, saying “the three were just those whose case were struck out, there are hundreds who are still facing prosecution, and it is clear that they want to keep holding on to these people in order to deter people from mass struggle.”

A group, the Take It back Movement in Oyo State has also begun plans to honour the memory of victims of police brutality, that is, those who were said to be slain in the state in the course of the 2020 #ENDSARS protest.

In a flyer obtained by our correspondent, rolled out by the group, a picture of Jimoh Isiaka was embedded with caption “Two years remembrance of Jimoh Isiaka.” The group plans to hold a memorial for him and four others starting from October 10, 2022.

“There will be a mini walk around the community demanding for justice,” the TIB state Coordinator, Solomon Emiola, said.