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Five years aft the #EndSARS protests that sparked nationwide calls for constabulary betterment and accountability, Nigerian lawyers are reflecting connected the movement’s bequest and its interaction connected governance, justice, and quality rights.
Marking the 5th anniversary, ineligible practitioners shared their perspectives connected however acold the state has travel and the enactment that remains.
While they acknowledged the enduring value of the protests successful shaping civic consciousness, they besides emphasised the request for stronger organization reforms, respect for tribunal judgments, and genuine committedness to justness for victims.
Kunle Edun (SAN)
Former Welfare Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Kunle Edun, SAN, describes #EndSARS arsenic “a acheronian leafage successful Nigeria’s history,” symbolising authorities disregard for quality beingness and the regularisation of law.
He said: “The courts gave judgments awarding damages to victims, yet the authorities ignored them. Disrespect for judgments is an invitation to anarchy — not adjacent a cardinal soldiers tin halt it.”
Edun accused Attorneys-General and legislators of colluding with governors to disobey tribunal orders, saying, “We lone person civilian rule, not democracy.”
He urged courts to enforce compliance with their orders and advocated authorities policing to extremity abuse.
Deji Adeyanju
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju blamed Nigeria’s “systemic civilization of impunity” and enforcement interference for stalled #EndSARS accountability.
“Implementation of judicial sheet recommendations depends connected governmental volition and budgetary approval, some of which are lacking,” helium said.
He noted that portion ECOWAS Court rulings are binding, they deficiency coercive force. “Compliance relies connected bully religion and civilian pressure,” helium added.
Amanda Demechi-Asagba
The NBA typical connected the Lagos Judicial Panel, Amanda Demechi-Asagba, insists that victims of the #EndSARS protestation merit existent restitution and not rhetoric.
She said: “The panels made wide findings, but implementation has stalled. Victims merit justice, compensation, restitution, and not rhetoric.”
She urged the Nigerian authorities to amusement genuine committedness to reform. “The constabulary indispensable beryllium restructured to prioritise quality rights and rebuild assemblage trust,” she said. Failure to act, she warned, could reignite aboriginal nationalist anger.
Ayo Ademiluyi
One of the counsel to victims of the Lekki Toll Gate shooting, Ayo Ademiluyi, insists that accountability volition stay elusive arsenic agelong arsenic the aforesaid governmental people that enabled the massacre inactive holds power.
“The Lagos Judicial Panel’s findings were nullified by a unilateral White Paper. No unfortunate tin get existent justness nether this existent governmental people due to the fact that they enabled the injustice perpetrated 5 years agone connected guiltless younker calling for change,” helium lamented.
Ademiluyi called for urgent reforms successful constabulary payment and structure, saying, “Nothing has changed successful 5 years. We indispensable overhaul constabulary moving conditions and pensions. Only past tin reforms beryllium meaningful.”
History & unfinished business.
Five years on, #EndSARS is some past and an unfinished struggle. It is past due to the fact that it altered Nigeria’s civic landscape, showing that citizens tin emergence successful wide solidarity against injustice.
The station #EndSARS: Five years after, lawyers bespeak connected justice, betterment and lessons learnt appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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