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Nigeria didn't learn from #EndSARS movement - Peter Obi

Obi said Nigeria has continued to retrogress on many fronts despite the youth's yearning for good governance.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party torchbearer in the February 25 presidential election, said Nigeria has refused to learn from the 2020 EndSARS movement.

Three years ago, Nigerians took to the streets across several cities to demonstrate their anger over brutality being meted out to citizens by the now-defunct police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, otherwise known as SARS.

Tagged EndSARS, the movement that started as civil disobedience against police brutality, later became a platform for frustrated citizens to demand better governance from the leaders.

While the Federal Government was able to answer the call to scrap SARS, other concerns raised during the nationwide protests still linger to date.

In marking the movement’s third anniversary, Obi took to his Twitter (now X) account on Friday, October 20, 2023, to bear his mind.

“We remember their youthful yearnings for a better nation and their struggle for good governance. Unfortunately, our nation did not pick the appropriate lessons from the incident. Instead, we have continued to retrogress on many fronts,” the Labour Party candidate wrote.

The former Anambra State governor urged the government at all levels to address the continuous detention of those arrested three years ago and ensure their release.

“Today, we mark the third anniversary of the #EndSARS protests that swept through the nation. It is an occasion to remember our brothers and sisters who fell victim during the protests that swept through the nation in 2020.

“On this note, I wish to call on the necessary authorities, whether state or Federal Government, to investigate the issue of these continued detentions and take necessary actions towards correcting the implied injustices and ensure that no one continues to be denied freedom unlawfully.

“Our journey to a new and better nation will start with respect for our constitution and obedience to the rule of law. Our democracy must be founded on respect for the rights of every citizen,” Obi stated.

Condoling those who lost their lives during the struggle, Obi prayed to God to comfort their families.

“We will continue to struggle for a better nation where our youths will be productively engaged in many progressive ventures, where justice will reign, and obedience to the rule of law shall be sovereign. That is the New Nigeria that we dream of,” he added.

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