Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo- Olu has imposed a 24 – hour curfew on the state effective 4 pm on today .
He said , “ I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful # EndSARS protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well- being of our society. Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our State .
“ As a government that is alive to its responsibility and has shown a commitment to the movement # ENDSARS , we will not watch and allow anarchy in our dear state .
“ I , therefore , hereby impose a 24 -hour curfew on all parts of the State as from 4 pm today , 20 th October , 2020 . Nobody , except essential service providers and first responders must be found on the streets . ”
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, has received a list of 35 operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, who have been recommended for prosecution and outright dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force.
The list of the indicted SARS operatives, drawn from 12 States and the Federal Capital Territory, was handed to the AGF at the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters in Abuja, by a team led by the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Mr. Tony Ojukwu.
The NHRC boss told newsmen that the affected SARS officers were found culpable of offences that ranged from alleged extra-judicial killings, unlawful arrest and detention, threat and intimidation, unfounded allegations, seizure of properties, as well as illegal blockage of bank accounts of innocent citizens.
Their indictment was contained in a voluminous report that was prepared by a three-man committee that was set-up to review and advise the federal government on implementation of recommendations of the Presidential Panel on Reform of SARS.
The Lagos State Government has ordered the closure of public and private schools in the state indefinitely .
This was announced in a press statement by the state ’ s Head of Public Affairs , Ministry of Education, Kayode Abayomi .
The statement was titled, ‘ Lagos directs students to stay at home ’ .
It quoted the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, as saying that the schools were shut down over “tension generated by the anti – SARS protests . ”
The statement read in part , “The Lagos State Government has directed all pupils /students in public and private schools to stay at home following the tension generated by the anti – SARS protests .
“ A new date of resumption for all classes will be announced as soon as possible . ”
Adefisayo added that “ the safety of the pupils /students , parents and all staff working in schools is paramount at this critical period ” .
She however advised parents to “ keep an eye on their wards and not allow them to be used as willing tools in the hands of those who might want to hijack the protests to unleash mayhem on the society” .
The Commissioner also encouraged schools to “ utilise other means of distance teaching and learning i . e radio, television and online media as they have been doing during and post the recent COVID- 19 lockdown ” .
The Federal Government has agreed to release N30 bn earned academic allowance to the university lecturers .
The money will be paid in tranches between May 2021 and February 2022 .
News correspondent gathered that the FG also promised to spend N20 bn on the revitalisation of the education sector as part of concessions meant to end the seven – month strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities .
These were part of the agreements reached during the ongoing meeting between the FG and ASUU leadership .
Speaking earlier before going into a closed – door session , the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige , said students were being recruited into the # EndSARS protests following the closure of universities occasioned by the ASUU strike.
He expressed the hope that ASUU would call off the strike soon , noting that the government had been finding ways to end the seven – month strike .
The government team was led by Ngige , his minister of state , Festus Keyamo ( SAN ) , and others, while the ASUU delegation was led by its President , Prof . Biodun Ogunyemi .
Ngige said , “ For the past one week, we have all been on our toes; we have been meeting and we pray that this meeting will yield some good fruits.
An ad hoc committee set up by the House of Representatives on the ongoing nationwide protests against the Special Anti- Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force , has summoned the Inspector – General of Police , Mohammed Adamu .
The IGP is to appear before the special panel on October 22 , 2020 .
The panel, which is made up of the House Committees on Justice, Human Rights and Police Affairs , will also conduct town hall meetings across the country to hear from Nigerians on the matter .
Chairman of the joint committee , Ugonna Ozurigbo, while addressing journalists in Abuja , said , “ It is important to note at this juncture , bearing in mind the urgency of the matter at hand, that the joint committee has swung into action to carry out its mandate by taking the following actions : “Invited the Inspector General of police to appear before it on Thursday , 22 October , 2020 .
“ Preparing to conduct public hearings in the six geopolitical zones of the country. Details of this shall be made available to the general public .
“ Created dedicated WhatsApp platforms – 09130248644 , 09075619076 ; and email –
nass. policeinvestigation @ gmail . com – for victims of police brutality , families of deceased victims and victims that are unlawfully detained by the operatives of the defunct SARS, to furnish the committee with information that would enable it carry out this all- important task . ”
The Federal Government says all prospective corps members will undergo mandatory COVID – 19 tests ahead of the reopening of orientation camps nationwide .
It also said all National Youth Service Corps orientation camps would reopen effective November 10 , 2020 .
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 , Sani Aliyu , stated this during a briefing in Abuja .
Orientation camps have been shut since March this year as part of measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic .
But speaking , Aliyu said , “ We have developed guidelines with the NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ) and the NYSC in the preparation for the reopening of the orientation camps on the 10 th of November , 2020 .
“ The PTF has also arranged additional safeguards to include the testing of all corpers and staff in the camps for COVID- 19 tests prior to commencement of the orientation programmes . ”
The Federal Government has directed civil servants who have not been going to work since March when the lockdown declared to curtail the spread of COVID- 19 started to return to work from Monday .
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 , Boss Mustapha ; and the National Coordinator , Sanni Aliyu , disclosed this at the press briefing of the task force .
Only civil servants of Salary Grade Level 12 and above as well as those on essential duties have been going to work.
But the PTF has directed that civil servants below SGL 12 can now resume work.
It however directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure that they alternate the days the civil servants will be at work in order to ensure social distancing .
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr . Chris Ngige , will today ( Thursday ) meet with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in a bid to end the over six months strike by the university lecturers .
A statement by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry , Mr Charles Akpan said Ngige would host a meeting with ASUU in Abuja .
ASUU had embarked on an indefinite industrial action following its opposition to the government ’ s move to enforce the use of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System for salary payment .
The union had instead , insisted on a different payment platform , the University Transparency Account System .
But indications that the strike action may soon be resolved emerged on Tuesday when ASUU was summoned to a meeting by the Senate President , Senator Ahmad Lawan along with Ngige .
The meeting, chaired by Lawan , also had in attendance , the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu , the Accountant – General of the Federation , Ahmed Idris and the ASUU leadership led by the President , Prof Biodun Ogunyemi .
Addressing journalists after the three-hour closed session , Ngige said ASUU had shown how the UTAS they developed could work, adding that the demonstration would continue.
“ We will involve other government agencies who would also come and assess it. Discussions on it are not foreclosed yet .
“ UTAS is a homegrown software . It is what we call local content that Mr President is encouraging . It will be considered by the government , ” Ngige added .
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has reiterated the resolve of the Green Chamber, to effect key reforms in the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
He also disclosed the House had on Wednesday last week urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, to produce an immediate plan for the identification and compensation for victims of police brutality in the country.
According to his Spokesman, Mr Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker said this when he received a delegation led by popular Nigerian singer, David Adeleke (Davido), who came on a courtesy visit to convey to the National Assembly, the grief of victims of police brutality.
The Speaker said the House identified” with the need to reform the police and had taken steps to address the situation, such as the recent Police Reform Act.
“The amended Police Reform Act contains most, if not all, of the grievances and demand Nigerians want to see, including a functioning police complaint unit that should be a liaison between the citizenry and the police, as Nigerians can no longer live in fear of those who are supposed to protect them,” he said.
According to him, “the House has been at the forefront of addressing the inhuman treatment meted on Nigerians by some of the SARS operatives, the Speaker noted that all the demands relayed have been captured in a motion sponsored by the House Leader, Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, many days before the protests even commenced”.
Gbajabiamila, according to the statement said: “several resolutions were reached from the motion, some of which had been identified and implemented by the police authorities, such as the demand that the IGP take decisive action to stop the brutality and human rights violation by SARS and report the said actions to the House within three weeks”.
The House, according to the statement, also ” demanded the setting up of an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of officers found culpable of such violent misconduct and ensuring they are punished according to the law.
“He also emphasized the position of the House on the need to have an independent system for monitoring police actions and holding police officers to proper account for failures to follow the law and the police code.
“Besides, he restated the determination of the House to legislate on the lasting solutions to the problems of policing in Nigeria”.
He pledged that the” House will this week meet with the national leadership of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and select civil society organisations to begin joint efforts at developing a legislative proposal”, as he “assured the delegation of the lawmakers’ total and unwavering allegiance to the sensitivity and needs of the Nigerian people”.
Davido had earlier in his remarks expressed the anger of most Nigerians, which according to him, were angered by government’s insensitivity and indifference towards the people.
Though, the statement noted he acknowledged “there are honest and hardworking personnel within the SARS operatives”, he however added that ” the bad ones have dented the image of the unit beyond the trust of Nigerians”.
He recounted his role in the #EndSars protest the day before, stating that the people want trust, accountability and communication.
On his list of demands, according to the statement, “Davido asked for the immediate release of all arrested protesters nationwide during the “ENDSARSNOW” protest, justice for all deceased victims of police brutality over the years, and appropriate compensation for their families”.
Youths protesting against the brutality and extrajudicial killings by men of the now – disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force has blocked traffic flow around Secretariat , Ikeja , along the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway .
The protest has brought vehicular movements to a standstill as motorists and commuters are trapped in the gridlock .
A protester, Bamidele Oladipupo , said people have been voiceless for too long , adding that the # ENDSARS campaign was a statement that the youths are tired of being treated unjustly in the country .
He said , “ It is a shame that the people do not have a voice in their own country, something is going to spur people to take action and one of the things is the # ENDSARS . If you are a young person in this country , people can just stop you on the road , collect whatever you have on you and label you a criminal , and shoot you .
“ It is happening everywhere on the basis that you are a young person , if you have a little thing as small as a smartphone , you are their victim , so , the people are saying enough is enough . ”
A commuter, Idris Agbabiaka , while reacting to the protesters blocking vehicular movements, said , “ Although, I respect their agitation , blocking of the road is affecting us . I left Ibadan this morning and when we got to the Secretariat area of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway , the protesters have blocked the road . ”
The Inspector – General of Police , Mohammed Adamu, had on Sunday announced the dissolution of the much – dreaded police unit after days of agitation across the country .
However , the protesters are not satisfied with the announcement. They want , amongst other things , the release of arrested protesters as well as a total overhaul of the Police Force .
Spurring the protesters on are Eedris Abdulkareem and Mr . Macaroni among others.
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