.15 Endsars protesters in Lagos Prison
Three years after the EndSARS protest that shook the nation

Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria (HRJNN) has lamented the continued detention of some of the protesters, despite pleas and recommendations.

“The demands around police brutality must be met, we must be safe. The salary of Police officers must be improved, including the salary of soldiers,m. How can a soldier be paid N50,000 salary? It’s unsafe to underpay someone that suppose to be securing you.

“People are crying over the cost of living and the government thinks we are joking and, I hope they will pay attention.

On his part, Member, Take It Back Movement, Femi Adeyeye, said there is need to have more conversation on issues affecting Nigeria and demand that the government do the right thing.

“This conversation comes at the right time, especially when the energy of young people in Nigeria is waning because some of them misdirected their energy during the election and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its usual manner disappointed so many young Nigerians. It seems like the resoluteness to fight against injustice is reducing because a lot of young people were disappointed during the 2023 elections so, this conversation is a way to energize ourselves and educate ourselves.

“Every of the reformist policies happened after End SARS so, it’s a message to the people to do more of the things that will make the government listen, which is, protest, keep organising ourselves until we have a country that is safe for all of us.

When asked if the government had listened to the people three years after, he said: “The best way to put it is that the people must keep talking and maybe when the decibels of the sound moves up, they may start considering those things. End SARS started with a hashtag on Twitter (X), even a Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO) challenged us to get 150 million tweets to End SARS and the people did more than the number, they did online and offline and the Nigerian state was shocked for the first time. Some soldiers told me that they were scared of the people for the first time.

When asked about what has changed between Police and Nigerians relationships three years after, he said: “Nothing has changed practically, Police as an institution is only improving on PR instead of facing the critical issues. The police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi is only taking pictures with people just like politicians.

It also lamented that police brutality had continued despite promises to reform and called for the continuation of the campaign.

The call was made, yesterday, at A Day Film Screening and Panel Discussion, titled Three Years after ENDSARS Protest in Nigeria: Missing Persons, Police Brutality and Torture.

At the programme, organised by HRJNN and Africa International Human Rights Film Festival, two short films on the danger of torture and extortion by police were screened.

Elixir Foundation, National Human Rights Commission and NGOs were present at the event.

Speaking at the programme, Executive Director, Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria, Kehinde Adegboyega, said: “We are to drive advocacy around missing persons; it’s over three years after EndSARS, and some of the demands are yet to be met.”

“Protest is a powerful way to bring government to action, we have been able to influence some level of reforms through protests and we want to emphasise that protest is a human right and should not be stopped. Protesters should not be intimidated.”

On what has changed three years after the EndSARS protest, he said: “One thing that has changed is that people are interested in change in police attitudes more, the government also knows that the people can stand up to them, when they push them to a tight corner. People are now more conscious of their rights, but unfortunately, a lot of things have not changed in the demand around police brutality and that is why we are having this conversation.”

Also, criminal justice researcher, Amnesty International, Maurice Chukwu, lamented that while after many advocacy, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde released 12 Endsars protesters, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is yet to give up on prosecuting the protesters and 15 of the protesters are still in prison.