"EndSARS", Protest Rocks Ughelli, Delta State, Photo, Videos Emerge
- Dozens of Nigerians on Wednesday, February 14, protested in Ughelli, Delta state, against alleged unchecked police brutality and extortion from youths
- In a video of the protest seen by Legit.ng, the protesters called on the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to sanction the alleged unscrupulous police personnel
- The demonstrators lamented that some police officers in Delta state have turned themselves into armed robbers in uniforms
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public journalism.
Ughelli, Delta state - Residents of Ughelli, Delta state, on Wednesday, February 14, staged a protest.
As reported by Vanguard newspaper, the demonstrators gathered in large numbers to protest against the alleged extortion of Nigerian youths and incidents of police brutality.
Source: Getty Images
An X (formerly Twitter) user, Kome Nice shared the video with the caption:
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"Heavy protest ongoing in Ughelli against police brutality which has become rampant!!"
Police react
Reacting to the demonstration, Bright Edafe, the spokesperson of the police in the south-south state, stated that a car without a licence plate was found in the community on Tuesday, February 13.
Edafe's words:
"With reference to the current demonstration in Ughelli, the command would like to notify the public that yesterday, February 13, 2024, police officers from Ughelli Area Command found an unregistered Mercedes GLK without a license plate in the Ekuigbo community.”
Delta protest: Nine arrested
Edafe announced the arrest of nine Delta youths for allegedly attacking its officers and destroying the vehicle of the Force.
He disclosed this via his X handle, adding that the head of one of its officers was broken in the attack.
His statement partly reads:
"Some of the youths attacked the police, destroyed their vehicle, and broke the head of one of the officers.
"Nine of the suspects were arrested and will be charged to court. Youths are advised to stay off any protest because it won't deter us from doing our job."
Flashback to EndSARS protest of 2020
The 2020 #EndSARS protests in Nigeria began on October 4, 2020, after a SARS police officer reportedly shot a young Nigerian man in front of the Wetland Hotel in Ughelli.
The video of the incident trended on social media, leading to nationwide protests within a few days.
The protests were led predominantly by young Nigerians in different cities alongside many activists and celebrities.
It culminated in the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a controversial unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
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15 EndSARS protesters languishing in Lagos jails
In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that years after the suppression of nationwide #EndSARS protests against police brutality, at least 15 protesters arrested in 2020 are still being detained.
According to Amnesty International, the majority of the detainees are held without trial in Kirikiri and Ikoyi correctional centres in Lagos.
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Source: Legit.ng
