By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The ban on #EndSARS protest announced by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has been ignored by Rivers State protesters who stormed the roads of Port Harcourt, the state capital, to insist on the end to all forms of police brutality.
Wike had announced on October 12, the proscription of all forms of protest commencing today, October 13. But the protesters replied him that they were not secondary school children that would comply with his threats.
As early as 7am, the protesters started mobilizing. By 10:am, the crowd was in the thousands chanting that “Wike we dey come oh,” meaning Wike, we are coming.
The protest has largely been peaceful in Rivers State with little fracas between the protesters and police officers, unlike in Oyo and Lagos State that have recorded deaths of protesters.
In Lagos and Delta, policemen have been reported dead as a result of the protest.
President Buhari has assured that the disbandment of SARS was the first step in the reform of the Nigeria Police. But the protesters say the promise was not sincere enough because such assurances have been given three times in the past.
They said that they want the entire SARS facilities in the country emptied and the inmates transferred to regular police stations, while the disbanded SARS officers who were involved in human rights abuses, dismissed and prosecuted.
