Supporters of #EndSARS disapproved of the panel’s decision. Many consider the reopening of the toll to be untimely and imprudent for the victims of the shooting in Lekki.
A CNN team at the scene witnessed a group being driven to a police truck amid a strong police presence.
“We have the right to tell our fellow citizens that they are not doing what is certain that what they are doing is wrong. We must not lose the courage to speak in the face of oppression and brutality,” said Damilare Adenola from the barred window of a truck from the police.
Adenola said he attended protests on Saturday to show support for the organizers and observe the demonstrations, but was arrested for refusing to identify himself.
“I told them that I will not lose my right to protest even if I am arrested – I will still speak out because it is my fundamental human right,” he added. “It was here that our oppressors stepped on our countrymen – young comrades.”
He continued: “We feel that this place should be turned into a museum – a resistance museum and not a profitable company. People have been killed here, so many people are in hospitals – their lives have been spoiled.”
Two other arrested people appeared at another window of the police truck and told CNN they did not know why they had been arrested.
“I was arrested for no reason. No interviews, no one spoke to me. I was only arrested while walking on the street,” said Emmanuel Oboji, a construction worker. “I don’t know what happened. I was caught because I was walking in my country.”
Only a few protesters arrived on the scene at the scheduled time for the protest to begin. The police strongly repressed the demonstrators who appeared, beat them with sticks before arresting them and confiscating #EndSARS posters.
The SARS unit was created in 1992 to combat armed robberies and has received wide powers. Many of the policemen did not wear uniforms or badges and there were numerous complaints that they had turned against citizens and committed the same crimes they were supposed to fight.
Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police announced in October that SARS would be dissolved and its officers relocated, but protests continued.