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Breaking: Armed thugs attack Nigerians protesting against police brutality in Abuja #EndSWAT #SWATMUSTENDNOW #SARSMUSTENDNOW #SWATMUSTEND #AbujaProtests
Some thugs have attacked Nigerians protesting against police brutality in Abuja. The thugs, who were armed with cutlasses, invaded the protest venue at Berger junction about an hour after the #EndSARS protesters had convened.
They harassed the protesters, including passers-by, destroying vehicles parked in the area.
At least five cars were destroyed at the scene, while an unconfirmed number of the protesters sustained injuries.
NewsWireNGR recalls that a presidential panel had on Tuesday approved the demands of #SARSMUSEND protesters, including halting the use of force against protesters and the unconditional release of arrested citizens.
The five-point demands of the protesters were okayed at a forum convened by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the National Human Rights Commission, with stakeholders, a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said.
It was a multi-stakeholders’ forum attended by leaders and representatives of civil society organisations in Nigeria, activists from the entertainment industry, and the ENDSARS movement and development partners.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting read in part “The Forum collectively: welcomed the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; Reaffirmed the constitutional rights of Nigerians to peaceful assembly and protest; Further affirmed the sanctity of life of every Nigerian and the role of the Police in protecting this right; Affirms that the five-point demands of the protesters and the ENDSARS movement are genuine concerns and will be addressed by the Government.’’
The communiqué was signed by the Inspector-General of Police and Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu.
Tuesday’s decision comes on the back of continued protests across the country, despite the dissolution of SARS by the IGP on Sunday.
Beyond agreeing to the demands of the protesters, the forum said the dissolution of SARS presented an opportunity to embark on comprehensive reforms aimed at repositioning the Nigerian Police Force as a modern, responsive and citizens-centred law enforcement organisation.
“The Forum further noted that the proposed reforms should be anchored under the basis of the White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad which was jointly authored by the National Human Rights Commission, the Federal Ministry of Justice, and the Nigeria Police Force,” the communique said.
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