(Being a Press Statement of the TAKE IT BACK MOVEMENT, Osun State)
Yesterday, members of the Endsars movement, mainly youths took to the street in Osun state and across the world to commemorate one year anniversary of the biggest mass protest in the history of Nigeria. It was on record that these protesters were exercising their rights in accordance with the law. Members of the press were also present to cover the event within the dictates of their profession.
The protests which started at about 11 am from Ita-olookan in Osogbo,was bid to end at Oke-fia. We want to put it on record that the men of the Nigerian police attacked protesters and reporters with the aim of arresting them and in the process arrested Daily post reporter in the state,Mr Sikiru Obarayese at about 100 meters away from Oke-fia where the protest is bid to be ended . He was arrested on the instruction of The DPO of Dugbe police station who quickly started a process of his arraignment until he was forced to stop after pressures from his colleagues through the commissioner of police. It is also on record that he was stripped naked brutalised and tortured by police men, about 12 of them at Dugbe police division.
Similarly, We want to put it on record that the police and DSSS men has been chasing organizers of the Endsarsmemorial since about 3 days before the protest. This is evident in the way the Commissioner of police has been calling and threatening to arrest one of our the organizers; Olushayo babawale ogunleye.
Also, efforts were made by the police to stop the press parley that was bid to be held at NUJ correspondence and when the venue was changed,the police and DSSS made further attempts to stampede the press parley. If was further observed that protest organizers was been trailed by some unknown men on a motorcycle around Ogo-oluwa the new venue for the press parley. Worthy of Observation is also that Combined forces of Police and DSSS took charge of the convergence point of the protest, harrasing protesters on arrival.
Based on the foregoing, It is pertinent to state that Protest is a universally recognized fundamental right of citizens and it would never be given up to any security and government agents based on any threat. We hereby wants to equivocally state that the Nigerian police has become a puppet of the ruling class for too long and this should stop. We want to state that the primary function of the police is security of life and property, thus it is our expectation that the police should protect protesters at all time. Hence we demand that;
1 The DPO of Dupe police division and all the twelve officers involved should be investigated and prosecuted for the illegall arrest and torture of Mr Sikiru Obarayese, the Daily Post reporter.
2 The commissioner of police should unravel the unknown men who have been trailing Olushayo babawale ogunleye, One of the organizers of Endsarsmemorial. We maintain that if anything happens to him, the CP would be held responsible.
3 The Nigerian police force should investigate and made public the killers of ALIMI AHMED and MUTIU LAWAL FRESH murdered in cold blood during the univited and provocative visit of Governor Gboyega Oyetola to the barricades at the #EndSARS protests last year October.
4 The Nigerian police force should publicly apologize for attacking, arresting and dehumanizing Mr Sikiru Obarayese.
We want to state clearly that Protests, such as was held yesterday would never be stopped in a democracy, therefore police and other security agency should stop brutalisation of protesters and rather protect them at all time.
Samson Tola
Owolabi Opeyemi
TIB Ag Coordinator and Secretary.
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