Enugu State residents, on Tuesday, held a peaceful protest against SARS and police brutality, demanding total reformation of the Nigeria Police Force and scrapping of its Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The protesters who trouped out in thousands around 7 am, gathered at Ogbete market area of Enugu town where they took off to the State Police Headquarters.
The protesters made five demands which included an end to the operations of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS. They said the verbal dissolution of the special police unit was not enough.
They urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to without delay ensure total reformation of the Nigeria Police Force.
Responding, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Police Command, Ahmad Abduraham, hailed them for their peaceful conduct.
He said: “I have been following you since. None of you is irresponsible”
Abduraham, who said he had listened to their demands, added that it is their legitimate right to protest. The Commissioner of Police promised to forward their requests to the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, saying, “I will translate it to the IGP”.
The protesters trekked from Okpara Avenue to Government House, Independence layout, Enugu.
The protest was led by celebrities in the state, Chinedu Izuchukwu Okoli (Flavour), Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike,(Phyno) and Rapper Zoro.
They demanded that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi must address them.
Ugwuanyi, who was away, was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo.
The governor thanked the protesters for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves. He assured them of the state government’s support, saying, ” The state will do everything in its power to do whatever you people want”.
In solidarity, the deputy governor read out the five demands, promising that they will be looked into.
Some of the protesters called on the federal government to carry out total reformation of the police.
One of them, Peter Dike, said he was shot by some SARS officers sometime ago for no reason. He said he went out to buy something close to his house when they saw him, called him and attacked him.
Eze Success Obumneme, just like other protesters, wanted Ugwuanyi to address them.
They carried placards some of which read ‘Iphone Users are not Scammers’, ‘The system failed us, we are just trying to survive’, ‘#END Police Brutality’.
They chanted songs and observed a minute silence for those killed by SARS officers.
