The horrific images of torture and brutality unleashed on an Uber driver, Mr Clement Adedotun, during the #ENDSARS memorial on Wednesday at the Lekki tollgate, Lagos, drew the ire of journalists covering the event.
Adedotun was arrested, brutalized, pepper-sprayed as he resisted been thrown into forcefully dragged into a Black Maria by a combined team of Police, LASTMA and neighborhood watch officials.
They gave him punches and beating that bloodied his nose, ear and the head during the #ENDSARS memorial which took place at the Lekki tollgate today.
Persecondnews reports that hefty security men attempted thrice to hound him into the van and was stoutly resisted amid cries for plea to save him from wrongful arrest.
“Please don’t let them take me into the Black Maria, l’m not a protester, l’m an Uber driver,” he cried out, displaying his car key and phone.
Adedotun said he was in his car when he heard people shouting.
He decided to run for cover and in the process left his vehicle and on his way back, trying to locate his car, some police officers stopped him and started dragging and beating him.
Adedotun said while he was struggling to prevent the operatives from pushing him into their van, they pepper-sprayed his eyes.
No fewer than 30 people were arrested and driven away in the Black Maria to the police station.
Hundreds of youths had on Wednesday protested in a vehicular procession through the Toll gate and other parts of Lagos to commemorate the 2020 EndSARS protest at Lekki toll plaza where some Nigerians were reportedly killed by soldiers.
Amnesty International, CNN and eyewitnesses said Nigerian soldiers shot live bullets and killed harmless protesters at the toll plaza on October 20, 2020 but the Federal Goverment said no one died in the incident.
Cheta Nwanze, a partner at SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based socio-economic research firm, said at least 44 persons were killed at different locations – including Lekki toll plaza – that day.
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