#ENDSARS PROTEST FIRST ANNIVERSARY: Any Significant Changes?

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#ENDSARS

It is one year now that young Nigerians took to the streets of the country to protest against bad governance and police brutality in a nationwide protest that lasted for several days before it was hijacked and truncated by hoodlums.

Twelve months down the line, have there been any significant changes in the critical issues that were raised by the youths?

Some respondents who spoke to reporters in Benin City said nothing has changed from the issues that led to the protests that claimed several lives and expressed fears that with the current state of things in the country, another protest bigger than the End SARS might be looming.

In Benin City, the Edo State capital, South-South Nigeria, the protesters blocked major roads to press home their demands leaving road users stranded for days.

The End SARS protests in Benin City which were later hijacked by hoodlums led to a jailbreak at the Benin Correction Service freeing hundreds of inmates and several police stations were burnt down.

In other to pacify the youths, the Edo State government like other state governments across the country, constituted a panel to look into the petitions of victims of police brutality.

The Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry entertained over 150 petitions and made several recommendations.

It has been over three months since the panel submitted its report to the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and nothing is yet to be heard regarding its implementation of the recommendations of the panel.

While the victims of police brutality are still waiting for the state government to implement the report of the panel that followed the End SARS protests, the respondents said the Federal Government must address the issues raised by the End SARS protesters in other to prevent yet another round of massive protests.