The Nigeria Police Force has said that no EndSARS protester is still being held in any of its facilities nationwide.
The police were reacting to a claim by Senator Shehu Sani that some young people have been detained since 2020 when some young people protested police brutality under the banner ENDSARS.
In a statement released on June 16, the spokesperson of the police force, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said:
‘’No individual is being unlawfully detained by the Nigeria Police Force or any other security agency in Nigeria due to the EndSARS protest. All arrested individuals have been processed according to the law, and none remain unlawfully detained. In Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pardoned approximately 100 suspects arrested by the Police during the protest.
For emphasis, no one anywhere in Nigeria is under Police detention or being wrongly persecuted for participating in the EndSARS protest. The issues surrounding the protest have been debated, researched, and documented, and lessons have been learnt. We have forgiven ourselves and moved on.
We urge the public to disregard this claim and remain assured of our commitment to upholding justice, the rule of law, and human rights. We encourage verifying information before making public statements to avoid harm and incitement.”
While speaking during the Democracy day dinner at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on June 12, Sani said some Nigerians are still locked up in detention for their roles in the ENDSARS protest and appealed to President Tinubu to pardon and release them.”
