The Nigeria Police Force has firmly refuted allegations made by former Senator Shehu Sani during the 2024 Democracy Day Dinner, where he claimed that some individuals involved in the 2020 EndSARS protests remain in detention.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday, Sani urged President Bola Tinubu to pardon the EndSARS protesters who he alleged were still detained. In response, a press release issued on Sunday by the Force’s spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, denied these claims, asserting that all detainees have been processed legally and none are currently held.
“The Nigeria Police Force categorically denies the recent allegations made by Senator Shehu Sani at the 2024 Democracy Day Dinner on June 12, 2024, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja,” the statement read. “The former Senator falsely claimed that some young people have been detained since the 2020 EndSARS protest. The Nigeria Police affirms that no individual is being unlawfully detained by the Nigeria Police Force or any other security agency in Nigeria due to the EndSARS protest. All arrested individuals have been processed according to the law, and none remain unlawfully detained.”
The statement further highlighted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State had pardoned about 100 suspects arrested during the EndSARS protests. It emphasised, “For emphasis, no one anywhere in Nigeria is under police detention or being wrongly persecuted for participating in the EndSARS protest. The issues surrounding the protest have been debated, researched, and documented, and lessons have been learned. We have forgiven ourselves and moved on.”
The police urged the public to disregard Sani’s claim and reassured their commitment to upholding justice, the rule of law, and human rights. “We encourage verifying information before making public statements to avoid harm and incitement,” the statement concluded.
