10 police killings since 2020 #EndSARS protest
Three years ago, Nigerians trooped to the streets to protest brutality and other inhumane treatments by rogue police officers. Unfortunately, nothing has changed since then.
15 brutal acts by Nigerian police since #EndSARS protest of 2020
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![Hon Moruf Akinderu Fatai, Commissioner for Housing, Lagos State [The Daily Crucible]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Hon Moruf Akinderu Fatai, Commissioner for Housing, Lagos State [The Daily Crucible]")
The shooting incident, now infamously referred to as the Lekki Massacre, on the night of October 20, 2020, is etched in the history of Nigeria for several reasons.
On this fateful day, harmless #EdnSARS protesters were cruelly brutalised by security forces meant to ensure their protection.
Up till that point, the protesters had been holding demonstrations across city centres for days to register their displeasure over police brutality often perpetrated by the officers of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, otherwise known as SARS.
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Among other things, they demanded the disbandment of SARS, which the Federal Government later acceded to, but the protesters pressed on for a complete overhaul of the force.
This insistence created a logjam, and everything spun out of control from there, leading to a series of events that culminated in the shooting at the toll gate.
One would imagine that the EndSARS movement and subsequent disbandment of SARS would deter the police from brutalising innocent citizens. But in this part of the world, the more things change, the more they remain the same - or even get worse.
Evidence on the ground showed that things haven't got any better. A Global Rights report stated that law enforcement agents carried out 164 extrajudicial killings between January and September 2021 alone.
That was less than one year after the nationwide outrage, and the figure gets scarier if you look further the line.
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On the occasion of the third memorial of the Lekki shooting, Pulse highlights some of the police atrocities recorded since the 2020 #EndSARS protest.
- 1 The murder of Bolanle Raheem
![Drambi Vandi (L) murdered Bolanle Raheem, a pregnant lawyer (R) on Christmas day in Lagos [Vanguard]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'518'%20height%3D'294'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Drambi Vandi (L) murdered Bolanle Raheem, a pregnant lawyer (R) on Christmas day in Lagos [Vanguard]")
Drambi Vandi (L) murdered Bolanle Raheem, a pregnant lawyer (R) on Christmas day in Lagos [Vanguard]
Pulse Nigeria
On Christmas day of 2022, Assistant Superintendent of Police Drambi Vandi shot dead a seven-month-pregnant lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, in the presence of her husband.
The incident happened in the Ajah area of the state when the deceased, her sister, and four children were said to be coming from an eatery in their car around 11 a.m., and Vandi waved them down.
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As the husband was trying to make a U-turn under the Ajah bridge, the trigger-happy officer, who was attached to the Ajah Police Division, shot at the vehicle, killing the lawyer in the process.
Vandi has since been sentenced to death after prosecution by the Lagos State government.
- 2 Gafaru Buraimoh
Gafaru Buraimoh
Pulse Nigeria
Buraimoh was another victim of the same Ajah Police Division. The deceased, a resident of Happy Estate in Ajah, was hit by a stray bullet as he made his way out of SkyMall around 10 p.m. on December 7, 2022.
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According to the narration given by Buraimoh's brother, Muyideen, the shooting incident that led to the death of the deceased occurred during a police raid of sellers of black market fuel at the Ajiwe gas station.
Without disclosing his identity, the Lagos police spokesman, Ben Hundeyin, said the inspector behind the shooting was immediately disarmed and detained. No update has been provided since then.
- 3 Godsent Obhafuoso
Godsent Obhafuoso
Pulse Nigeria
On August 13, 2022, a police officer fired a shot that ended the life of Obhafuoso during the burial of his master’s late mother in the Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
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As reported, the victim was assisting his master in gathering money being sprayed on him and using his phone to record at the same time when the policeman fired gunshots, which hit a cameraman and Obhafuoso.
While the former survived, the latter was pronounced dead at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.
- 4 Monsurat Ojuade
Monsurat Ojuade
Pulse Nigeria
A policeman, later identified as Sgt. Samuel Phillips killed an 18-year-old admission-seeking Monsurat Ojuade in the Ijeshatedo area of Surulere, Lagos State, on September 11, 2021.
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The victim was shot in front of her parents’ house on Mogaji Street, Ijesha, Surulere when some anti-robbery officers from the SCIID stormed the community.
- 5 Paul Durowaiye
Paul Durowaiye
Pulse Nigeria
On January 22, 2022, Durowaiye was killed by a police officer in Kogi State. An eyewitness revealed that the victim was shot for allegedly taking a sachet of water belonging to the killer cop from the latter's car to drink.
- 6 Policeman killed soldier
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Security agents are not spared from police brutality as an unnamed police officer stabbed a soldier, identified as Corporal Saheed, to death in the Ikorodu area of Lagos on February 15, 2023.
The incident happened when the mufti-wearing soldier confronted the police officer, who was not properly dressed and was standing very close to a patrol vehicle of Operation MESA to confirm his identity.
This led to an argument and, subsequently, the unfortunate incident.
- 7 Jumoke Oyeleke
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Oyeleke was killed by a police stray bullet during a Yoruba Nation rally in Lagos on July 3, 2021.
The victim was displaying soft drinks at her boss’ shop in a compound close to the rally ground when security men chased some demonstrators into the premises and shot at them.
The police initially claimed Oyeleke was stabbed by an unnamed person(s) but an autopsy by the Lagos State government confirmed that the deceased was killed by the police.
- 8 Onyeka Ibe
Onyeka Ibe
Pulse Nigeria
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Ibe, a 26-year-old businessman, was killed by a cop on April 5, 2023, along Ugbolu-Illah Road in Asaba, the Delta State capital. The killer cop, Inspector Ubi Ebri, shot at and killed the victim for refusing to give him a bribe of ₦100.
- 9 Afolabi Abiola
Afolabi Abiola
Pulse Nigeria
A 28-year-old student of Osun State Polytechnic, Afolabi Abiola, was shot dead during a police raid on his friend's residence on April 3, 2022.
The police claimed that the victim, his friend, and a lady were armed robbery suspects who engaged the police in a gun duel, which resulted in his death.
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But the deceased's family petitioned the IGP, accusing the Osun police of cover-up. The incident later sparked a wave of protests in the state as students and civil society organisations demanded justice for what they described as the extra-judicial killing of Afolabi.
- 10 Oliver Ezra Barawani
Oliver Ezra Barawani
Pulse Nigeria
A trigger-happy police officer killed Barawani while he was driving with his boss, Liu, an LG chairman in Taraba State, on June 4, 2022. A post on Facebook by one Abainitus Hamman said the deceased, a graduate of Taraba State University, was shot by a cop at a checkpoint in Kpanti Napo near Jalingo, the state capital.
NB: This article only highlighted 10 out of the incidents that happened within the stipulated period. There are other killings attributed to the police which were not mentioned here.
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![Akwa-Ibom Governor Umo Eno [The Guardian Nigeria]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'300'%20height%3D'172'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Akwa-Ibom Governor Umo Eno [The Guardian Nigeria]")