#EndSARS Protesters Shun Buhari’s Pledge, Mount Blockage At Lagos Airport

• Traffic gridlock dazes motorists, travelers

BY CHINYERE OBIORA, LAGOS – Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration that disbanding the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is his administration’s first step to extensive police reforms, the #ENDSARS protesters are not letting off the heat on their actions.

The latest development has seen the protesters blocking entrances into the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos in continuation of their actions.

Mounting blockades on the Murtala Muhammed Access Plaza with placards, some of the protesters were seen on a march that took them from Computer Village through Along Bus Stop to the airport vicinity.

The protest march caused serious obstruction of both human and vehicular traffic, a development that saw delay in most vehicles accessing the airport through the plaza environment.

According to eye witnesses, the protest march commenced at about 10 am, with the participants blocking motorists and travellers trying to access the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed airport.

The situation got worst with massive gridlock at the roundabout
as the #EndSARS protesters set up their stand at the Airport Access Plaza.

In the process, most of the travellers had to rely on alternative means of transportation in their desperation to either access or exit the airport.

With the usual solidarity chants filling the air, the placards-carrying protesters were all over the place displaying their anger peacefully.

Some of the placards carried by the protesters had such inscriptions as “iPhone no be gun”; “SARSMUSTEND”; “Chibuike Amana deserves justice”.

Some motorists, who spoke to journalists, said the gridlock caused by the protest march was quite frustrating as most of them were stuck in the traffic for almost two hours without any hope of reaching their destinations that were just few metres or kilometers.

President Buhari had also declared at the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES) launch that all those SARS personnel responsible for misconduct or wrongful acts would be brought to justice.

The P-YES is meant to create 774,000 jobs across the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country.

President Buhari further said; ”I will like to use this opportunity to say a word on the recent genuine concerns and agitations by Nigerians about the excessive use of force and in some cases extra-judicial killings and wrongful conduct of the men of the Nigerian Police Force.”

The P-YES programme launch had in attendance Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Ahmed Lawan; Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State; and Engineer Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.

The President said; “The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reforms in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood of our people.

”We will also ensure that all those responsible for misconduct or wrongful acts are brought to justice.”

Assuring Nigerians that the Federal Government is taking positive steps to sanitize the Nigeria Police, President Buhari said; ”We deeply regret the loss of life of the young man in Oyo State during the recent demonstrations.

”I have directed that the circumstances of his death should be thoroughly investigated.”