The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday condemned renewed brutality of protesters who trooped out to mark the memorial of the ENDSARS protest.
The one-year memorial was commemorated with candle light procession and protest in key centers across the country.
At the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, which was the epicentre of alleged military attacks leading to deaths of dozens of protesters, Nigerians still defied police warning and staged peaceful protest.
The peaceful protesters were met by Nigerian security forces with many of the protesters brutalised and hauled into police van and others had their smart phones confiscated and smashed.
In a statement on Wednesday, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP condemned the police action saying it was a sign of a waning government.
“The party vehemently condemns the sustained brutalization of Nigerians by APC-controlled security forces, particularly the bloody assault on innocent youths at Wednesday’s EndSARS remembrance procession, in various parts of the country,” the statement read in part.
The PDP notes that “EndSARS has come to stay as an epitaph of the manifest cruelty, wicked brutality, torture, illegal detention, mindless extra-judicial killings, gagging and suppression of citizens that were the hallmark of the APC and its administration in the last six years.”
Noting that EndSARS has become the emblem of the resistance by Nigerians against the insensitive, incompetent corrupt, divisive and decadent APC administration, it said the administration has brought so much anguish and pain to Nigerians.
“It is shocking that, despite the promises to stop brutality and restore good governance, Nigerians who came out to march in remembrance of the victims of last year’s brutality were made to face the same trauma, if not worse brutality in the hands of security operatives.”
The statement added that, “the PDP weeps at the cruelty inflicted on the Lagos Uber driver and many other youths by APC-controlled security agents as well as non-state actors, hired to repress Nigerians who were out exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
“The PDP demands that the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, immediately arrest and commence the trial of all security operatives involved in the heinous act against Nigerians.”
The party lamented that most of the issues that led to the EndSARS protest in 2020, including bad governance and brutality of citizens, remain unresolved and charged the Federal Government to accelerate efforts into resolving them and bringing justice to the people.
However, the government through its Ministry of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed denied there was any killing a year ago.
Mr Mohammed referred to the alleged killing as phantom, saying there was no evidence to proof to the contrary.
