Amnesty International (AI) has lauded the discharge and acquittal of Sunday Okoro, Olumide Fatai and Oluwole Isa who were detained at Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre, Lagos State for participating in #EndSARS protests in October 2020.
The group however alarmed that twelve peaceful protesters are still being held in Kirikiri.
Justice Modupe Nicole-Clay of the Lagos State High Court ordered their discharge, acquittal, and release following a prolonged trial.
AI noted that the duo should never have been charged in the first place.
According to Director Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, “They were detained under trumped-up charges ranging from theft, arson, possession of unlawful firearms, and murder for well over three years and five months at Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre, having previously been detained at the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit of the Nigeria Force facility in Lagos State.
AI called Nigerian authorities to also release Daniel Joy-Igbo, Sodiq Adigun, Shehu Anas, and Akiniran Oyetakin, arrested in Lagos in 2020, still being held in Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre for over three years.
Other protesters Segun Adeniyi, Onuorah Odih, Jeremiah Lucky, Gideon Ikwujomah, Irinyemi Olorunwanbe, Quadri Azeez, Olamide Lekan and Sadiq Riliwan – are still also detained without trial in Ikoyi Medium Security Correctional Centre in Lagos since 2020, AI said.
The rights group said its investigations discovered that as of October last year 15 #EndSARS protesters were in detention since October 2020 and appealed to the Nigerian government to provide information about the status of other #EndSARS protesters being held in various prisons across the country.
“Violation of human rights during #EndSARS shows complete disregard for the right to peaceful assembly. All those detained solely for taking part in peaceful #EndSARS protests must be released immediately and unconditionally,” Sanusi said.
“The Nigerian authorities have an obligation to respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the right to peaceful protest, including by publicly directing security and law enforcement agencies to stop infringing on the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
