#EndBadGovernance: Group Urges Protesters To Increase Demand For Release Of #EndSARS Protesters In Ikoyi Prison

A group of human rights activists, lawyers, and concerned citizens have appealed to #EndBadGovernance protesters, both on social media or on the streets, to increase their demand for the immediate release of all #EndSARS protesters allegedly incarcerated in Ikoyi Correctional Centre in Lagos State.

This was disclosed on Sunday by an author and human rights activist, Adebayo Raphael, who wrote on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, appealing to Nigerians to increasingly lend their voices to demand the immediate release of all #EndSARS protesters.

This post is an appeal to all Nigerians participating in the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests online and offline to please turn up the volume on the demand for the release of all #EndSARSprotesters, starting with those in Lagos whose whereabouts we currently do not know, the post reads, partly.

Before the group’s appeal, it will be recalled that West Africa Weekly reported the list of 20 #EndSARS protesters allegedly imprisoned on minor charges since October 20, 2020, at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre (formerly Ikoyi Prison).

READ ALSO: #EndSARS: List Of 20 Protesters In Ikoyi Prison Emerges On Social Media

After the report, the group consisting of pro-bono lawyers conducted a 5-week-long investigation with the Nigerian Police Force, Prison officials, and the Lagos State judicial system to ascertain the presence and release of the protesters, all of which proved abortive as officers of these agencies stonewalled requests sought after.

During a visit to Ikoyi Correctional Centre on July 10th, 2024, an undressed officer, who, despite the provision of names and cell numbers of the inmates, informed the leading lawyer, Chinedu Emmanuel, that all of the inmates were released on bail except for one JohnBosco Simon and Timothy Eket. As of visit time, 3,362 was inscribed on the board, indicating the number of male inmates.

Full Statement

While informing Nigerians of the development, Raphael stated,

We have been tracking the 20 #EndSARS protesters mentioned in this article for the past five weeks, and we suspect that the Lagos State Government, the APC, and Mr Tinubu have a case to answer here.

“All attempts to locate the protesters at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre and, later, through the Lagos State judicial system records have proved unsuccessful.

“When we began digging into this case, Ikoyi Prison officials told us 18 of the 20 protesters had been released. As of now, we have no idea the whereabouts of the 18 “released” protesters, nor have we been able to confirm that the allegedly remaining two protesters in Ikoyi Prison (JohnBosco Simon and Timothy Eket), according to the prison officials, are, in fact, still physically in that prison.

“Both prison and legal officers (who, by the way, are bent on extorting our pro bono lawyers to death) have consistently stonewalled or avoided our requests to see their records or speak to two of the protesters whom they claim are still at the correctional centre,” he added.

Read More:

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• Jos Prophet Criticizes President’s Speech Writer During #EndBadGovernance Service

About The Author

Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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