Despite a nationwide broadcast by the Inspector General of Police announcing the dissolution of the rogue police unit Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on Sunday, the #ENDSARS protest is still ongoing across the country.
According to some of the protest leaders who took to social media to express their views, past pronouncements on the SARS have always been ignored with a return to the status quo being the other of the day.
Hence, they are saying that the directive for dissolution would need to come from the President of Nigeria to carry make any meaningful impact. In a counter-response to the IGP directive, the protesters made five demands.
The demands include 1) Immediate release of all arrested protesters 2) Justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families 3) Setting up and independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct (within 10 days) 4) In line with the new police act, psychological evaluation and retraining (to be confirmed by an independent body) of all disbanded SARS before they can redeployed 5) Increase police salary so that they are adequately compensated for protecting lives and property of citizens.
As at press time, there were still reports of police allegedly shooting at protesters in Abuja, Ogbomosho and other protest locations across the country.
The protesters are also mobilising for a massive protest on Tuesday 13 October 2020, unless the President addresses them.
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