BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 20 October 2022

Source: BBC

EndSars procession: Coffins, song for dead pipo, teargas and oda tins wey mark EndSars 2nd anniversary

Police fire teargas for some protesters today Police fire teargas for some protesters today

Police for Lagos, Nigeria commercial capital forcefully disperse pipo wey dey carry out peaceful procession to mark di 20 October, 2020 EndSars protest. Di pipo wey dey do di procession gada for Lekki Tollgate, venue of di protest two years ago. Di procession ma to remember pipo wey allegedly die and events wey happun on dat day, di organizers tok. Di organizers bin plan to start di procession by 8am to end am by 11am on Thursday but di procession end about 20 minutes to di end of di protest. Armed police officers wey don dey positioned for Lekki Tollgate since early mor-mor use tear gas disperse everi body. Mock coffins and song for pipo wey die Most prominent among di procession na skit maker Mr Macaroni, singer Falz and social media influencer Just Adetoun. Dem lead almost 500 hundred oda pipo waka pass di symbolic Lekki tollgate. Di pipo carry banners, placards and oda materials wey get inscriptions against police brutality. Dem also carry coffins wey dem construct dey waka around di tollgate - dey also sing songs for pipo wey don die. "We carry di coffin to show police and goment say dem kill pipo on 20 October, 2020 even if dem dey deny am," Just Adetoun tell BBC Pidgin. Folarin Falana, wey evri body know as Falz the bahd guy say police for Nigeria neva change despite di protest. "We neva see any changes. Evri tin still dey as dem be," e tok. 'We want justice' Apart from di song for dead pipo wey di procession sing, dem also chany anti goment phrases say "We want justice". Popular skit maker for Nigeria, Adebowale Adedayo say apart from di police reforms dem also want justice for di pipo wey "die and suffer injuries during di 2020 EndSars protest. Adedayo, wey im stage name na Mr Macaroni say goment no dey serious gor police reforms. E say "regardless of wetin happun today we go kontinu to remember October 20." Inspite of di teargas dem use to disperse di pipo wey dey do di procession wey happun few minutes to 11am, some pipo still return. Di presidential candidate of AAC for di 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore later join di procession. Di officers use water canon and more teargas to pursue am and evri body wey follow am. Dem chase evri body wit di water canon and teargas till dem clear di entire tollgate. 'We use minimal force' Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos Police tok-tok pesin social post say na "minimal force" police use. E say true true dem use tear gas chase protesters for di Lekki Toll Gate axis. Hundeyin say na di protesters wey ''decide to be lawless and start to dey climb di toll complex'' dem chase comot wit tear gas.

There was no use of baton, neither was there physical contact. We equally do not have any record of shooting. We would, however, appreciate evidence of gunshots, maybe a video, to enable us take appropriate action. — SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) October 20, 2022 Wetin happun for Lekki Tollgate?One of di biggest matter about di Endsars protest na di shooting of unarmed protesters by Nigeria military for di Lekki tollgate area of Lagos wia protesters camp for days. Some protesters and victims claim say pipo die for di toll gate, but Nigeria goment say nobodi die. Minister of information Lai Muhammed at di time say 'how massacre go happun with out deadi bodi'. Nigeria army agree say dem do shooting for Lekki toll gate during di protest, but dem say "dem no shoot live bullets dia and dem no kill anybodi dia". Di United States Goment also say dem no get any informate on di number of pipo wey die during di #EndSARS Protests for Lekki Toolgate wey happun last year October. According to di US Department of State 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices di accurate number of pipo wey die for di shooting during di #EndSARS Protests no dey available at di year end. For one statement, di US Goment comfam say true true for October 20, 2020, some security pipo go enforce curfew by firing shot for air to comot protesters wey gather for Lekki Tollgate in Lagos to protest di abuse wey di defunct Nigerian Police Force's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) dey do di youths for di kontri. Although Goment confam say true true sojas wey carry live ammunitions dey Lekki Tollgate dat night but only two pipo die for di incident, di number wey dey contrary to Amnesty International report wey say na 10 pipo die. No other organisation fit corroborate di Amnesty International Claim. See more fotos from di procession: