A year on after the #EndSARS protests, cases of brutality still rampant

The issues that birthed The nationwide #EndSARS protest Iin Nigeria are still very much a daily occurrence in the country according to a legal practitioner that spoke with The Associated Press.

"There are several persons in police custody regardless of whether during the protest or not that are still in custody because of indiscriminate raids from the police," Ridwan Oke said.

The October 20, 2020, Lekki tollgate shooting of peaceful protesters later snowballed into a level of destruction never seen before in the commercial capital Lagos.

A judicial panel of inquiry was created to look into cases of police brutality, remaining issues of the protest and killings by security forces.

Civil society groups are planning another round of protests as grievances over police abuse and a slow criminal justice system remain.

Dozens of petitions remain unattended to with at least nine states embarking on indefinite adjournment with no date to resume.

"We need a special tribunal that will look at issues of fundamental human rights cases in Nigeria," said Ridwan. "And they will also be empowered to actually punish officers identified to have abused citizens."