After Six Years in Prison, EndSARS Victim Finally Regains Freedom, Narrates Ordeal
- Wasiu Rasheed regained freedom after spending over five years in Kirikiri Correctional Centre following his arrest during the 2020 EndSARS protests
- A Lagos court discharged and acquitted Rasheed, who was arrested at 17, after years of stalled proceedings and changing legal representation
- Advocacy by the Take It Back Movement helped secure his release and bring the case to an end
Freedom came after six years behind bars for Wasiu Rasheed, a Lagos youth arrested as a teenager during the October 2020 EndSARS protests and later cleared of all charges by a court.
Rasheed, now 23, walked out of Kirikiri Correctional Centre weeks after a judge discharged and acquitted him, bringing an end to a case that began when he was 17.
Source: Getty Images
Speaking during an interview with BBC Pidgin, Rasheed recalled how his life changed on October 20, 2020.
He said security operatives arrested him in front of his home in Zamura, a densely populated area of Lagos, despite pleas from his mother and neighbours who insisted he was not part of the violence linked to the protests.
“If to say I listen to my mama dat day, I for no fall victim of di protest. She warn me say make I no come outside, she say make I siddon for house, but I no listen,” he said.
Arrest and prolonged detention
Rasheed explained that he had been heading to work when news of unrest forced him to return home. He said he was later picked up alongside people carrying weapons and taken to a military facility, where he was restrained and held without access to his family.
He remained there for weeks before being transferred to Kirikiri.
Although he was initially accused of street violence, Rasheed said the charge presented in court was unlawful possession of firearms. Like many arrested during the protests, he was not charged with any offence directly linked to EndSARS demonstrations.
He described the more than five years he spent in custody as the most difficult period of his life.
Source: Getty Images
Life inside Kirikiri prison
Rasheed said survival in prison depended largely on money. According to him, inmates without financial support faced overcrowded cells, poor food and limited medical care. He recounted sharing small rooms with dozens of others and being forced to eat meals he described as unhealthy.
To cope, Rasheed said he washed clothes, ran errands and sold small items to earn money.
Those efforts helped him secure basic needs while he waited endlessly for court appearances that often passed without progress.
Court victory and release
In 2026, Rasheed’s case finally returned to court. He said prayers from fellow inmates accompanied him on the day the judge struck out the charges. His release was facilitated by Take It Back Movement, after new legal representation took over the matter.
A representative of the group confirmed that Rasheed regained his freedom on March 4 following the court’s decision.
Freedom has not brought closure. Rasheed said he has yet to find his mother, who reportedly relocated after facing threats following his arrest. He fears her health may have worsened during his absence.
Despite the uncertainty, Rasheed said he remains hopeful. He plans to return to tailoring and painting, skills he was learning before his arrest, and is determined to rebuild his life.
“I get two hands and legs, I ready to work,” he said.
Names of EndSARS protesters still in prison
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that about 40 Nigerians who participated in the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS protests are still being held in prison custody across Nigeria.
According to a global human rights organization, Amnesty International (AI), the victims are being held at the Agodi Correctional Centre in Oyo state and Kirikiri Medium Security Prison in Lagos without trial.
Source: Legit.ng
