End SARS: Akwa Ibom Protesters defy rains to barricade major roads

The #ENDSARS protest in Akwa Ibom entered its third day on Monday with protesters defying heavy rains to barricade Ibom Plaza, forcing motorists to ply alternative routes. 

Ibom plaza links major streets in Uyo.

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Protesters chanted songs as they moved from Ikpa road junction leading to the campus of University of Uyo campus and back.

The protesters called for the restructuring of the country and an end to police brutality.

One of the protesters, Idara Uduk, a lawyer said he was annoyed with the actions of the police, saying they make corruption flourish.

He said, “I want to express my annoyance with the police force in Nigeria. They make corruption flourish believing they can do without being punished.

“I want the FG to stop them from the anomalies. We are in a democracy but the police go out from the rule of the law, and brutalise innocent citizens instead of protecting them.

“That is why we are here and we will never stop until the government meet out demands.”

Another protester, Emmanuel Samuel who said the youths are tired of bad governance in Nigeria, stated, “We are here to tell the whole world that the youths are fed up with the way Nigeria is managed. We need restructuring. We will remain here till our voice is heard by the whole world.

“We need the Senate to sit up and give us a better government. We can’t afford to remain like this. Our brothers have graduated from school for many years now, yet no jobs for them. Therefore we need total transformation in Nigeria”.

An upcoming artiste, who identified himself as MacJay declared, “I am provoked. We voted our leaders but they cannot protect us. We are labeled as yahoo boys because we keep our hair.

“I was personally arrested by SARS because there was a robbery in my street. I was arrested for carrying dread locks and forced to pay N70,000 for bail, for what i didn’t do. It is painful.

“The police is supposed to help us because it is our tax that is used to pay their salary. That is why we are protesting”.

Meanwhile, members of the South South Legacy Group has staged a counter protest against the SARS protests by youths, stressing that criminal elements have infiltrated their ranks for selfish need.

The protesters including Civil Society Organisations walked around the major streets of Uyo chanting solidarity songs, displaying placards of various inscriptions.

Addressing the protesters, the Coordinator of the group, Mr Bassey Awa, called on the youths to give President Muhammadu Buhari enough time to implement the reforms he has started with the disbandment of SARS.

He said that prolonged protests would cause further damage to the economy which had been weakened by the lockdown occasioned by the global pandemic.

“Mr President has acted swiftly to the EndSARS protests, directing the IGP that there must be reforms in the SARS. And one of the things Nigerians said was no to SARS. The IGP has ordered the immediate  disbandment of SARS and that was carried out to the letter.

“It’s no longer business as usual. Nigerians have succeeded and we want to thank the Nigerians youths for that great feat. But you see that people, armed robbers, kidnappers, Yahoo boys, ritualists and people who have used the subsidy to milk Nigeria dry for many years have congregated to sabotage Nigeria democracy, in order to bring anarchy in the country.

“And Nigerians in Akwa Ibom State have decided to come out in their numbers to say no to criminality. We are not unaware of the fact that we just came out of the lockdown caused by the global pandemic. If we continue to protest, we will cause more harm to Nigeria,” he said.