By Bukola Hameed
The Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, has today thrown his full weight behind the #EndSARS protests when a group of protesters thronged his palace with different inscriptions and songs, demanding a permanent end to Police brutality.
Oba Olayiwola commended the peaceful manner in which they conducted the protest, adding that non-violent resistance has historical backing, as records have a number of such when things are not done in the right way.
” The way and manner you conduct yourselves is an indication of your proper upbringing. This indicates that you are truly sons and daughters of Oyo town. Your agitations are legitimate. Let me assure you, therefore, that all your demands will be communicated to the President, and promptly addressed”.
After narrating a CEO’s encounter with men of the SARS, which led to the man’s unfortunate demise and loss of about 4 million naira, the Kabiyesi cautioned the youth to desist from taking laws into their hands, and wage the war with non-violent “ulterances”.
While reading the list of demands to the Alaafin, the coordinator of the protest, Yusuf Kegbeyale who eulogised His Royal Majesty for his strides in ensuring peace in the ancient city, said the entire youth populace are fed up with the unprofessional manners in which men of the SARS operate which included intrusion, extortion and victimisation.
Kegbeyale said, ” We commend the IGP for the disbandment of the SARS. We however are not happy with replacing the SARS with SWAT; to us it is still the same. Nomenclature doesn’t make any changes. We demand an end to inscesant killing, brutality of students, youths. An end must be put to this harassment. What we want is total reform in the Nigerian police force. This victimisation, extortion and intrusion into people’s lives must stop”.
Ayo Funmi handcuffed by the SARS men for no offense!
Meanwhile, one of the protesters, Ayo Funmi recounted his ordeal with the men of the SARS thus:
” #EndSARS in my country, the moment you look good and live a better life you’re in trouble, they don’t want to know where you’re coming from.
The next thing to say is that you are doing Yahoo Yahoo…and the funniest part of it is that those people calling themselves #SARS some of them are into #cybercrime
Na vigil we dy go that night
They stopped us at mopo junction Itele Ayobo around after 10pm on that Friday night and they started checking our phones asking us where are we coming from/going b4 we know what’s happening they Don lock us inside the bus and tell us to bring 500k.
#ENDSARS
We need Freedom in this #NATION WE ARE STRUGGLING TO PUT FOOD ON OUR TABLES AND YET SO CALLED #SARS ARE STILL DISTURBING US DON’T WE HAVE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AGAIN IN THIS COUNTRY?
AFTER GRADUATING FROM UNIVERSITY THERE’S NO JOB FOR US TO DO… We are still trying our best to cater for ourselves. ENOUGH OF THIS DRAMA PLEASE #ENDSARS”
In attendance at the palace were personal secretary to Alaafin, Prince Olayiwola Tótóolá and members of the Oyomesi council namely; the Basorun, the Samu, the Laguna, the Akinniku, and the Agbaakin of Oyo.
See photos from the protest:
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