In a firm rebuttal, the Nigerian Police Force has dismissed recent statements by Senator Shehu Sani regarding the alleged continued detention of EndSARS protesters. The Force categorically stated that no individuals are currently being unlawfully detained in connection with the 2020 protests against police brutality.
Senator Sani, a prominent human rights activist, had called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the Democracy Day celebrations on June 12 to release what he claimed were scores of EndSARS protesters still held in detention. The Police, however, labeled these claims as misleading and unfounded.
In an official statement titled “Democracy Day: Police Clarifies, Refutes Senator Sani’s Misleading Claims. No EndSARS Protester Still in Detention,” Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, provided a detailed response.
“The Nigeria Police Force categorically denies the recent allegations made by Senator Shehu Sani at the 2024 Democracy Day Dinner on June 12, 2024, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the former Senator falsely claimed that some young people have been detained since the 2020 EndSARS protest,” the statement read.
Adejobi emphasized that all individuals arrested during the EndSARS protests had been processed in accordance with the law and that none remain unlawfully detained. He highlighted the actions of Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who pardoned approximately 100 suspects arrested during the protests.
“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,” Adejobi added.
The Police urged the public to disregard Senator Sani’s claims and reassured citizens of their commitment to upholding justice, the rule of law, and human rights. They also called for careful verification of information before making public statements to prevent misinformation and incitement.
The Force’s clarification aims to dispel any misconceptions about the status of those involved in the EndSARS protests and to reaffirm their stance on justice and legal processes in Nigeria.
