- Safiu Kehinde
Human Rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has warned of possible resurgence of the 2020 #EndSARS protest following the latest case of extra-judicial killing police officer in Delta state.
NPO Reported the circulation of disturbing viral video which captured moment a police officer identified as ASP Nuhu Usman, shot a suspected gunrunner dead on Monday.
The suspect, who was identified as Mene Ogidi, was reportedly apprehended by residents of Effurun community following the discovery of Beretta pistol with four rounds of ammunition in his possession.
The community members contacted the Effurun Area Command.
In response, the command deployed a team led by the Usman to the scene the lead officer shot the unarmed suspect at close range.
The development had sparked public outburst with demand for justice over the extra-judicial killing.
While the police had since arrested Usman who is due to the transferred to Abuja for interrogation and disciplinary action, Sowore however warned of possible resurgence of the #EndSARS protest.
The human rights activist gave the warning while addressing newsmen in court on Wednesday.
Sowore alleged that Usman and most of the officers often seen on casual dress are former Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officials who were reintegrated into the system.
“They will see an #EndSARS 2.0 coming up soon. You can tell already by the immediate reaction of Nigerians that they hate police brutality. And if you see the guy who shot him, he was not in uniform.
“Most of them who are committing these atrocities are the former SARS people they should have dismissed from the police who are still in the police force.
“They are the ones carrying out these extra-judicial killing.
“They can never ever change. And they know them, but they are the ones they rely on most to do dirty jobs because they bring in the highest number of returns.” He said.
The Sahara Reporters publisher claimed that the officer would have killed the person who recorded the viral video if he had known that he was being recorded.
He expressed regret over the stoppage of the #EndSARS protest as he held that the police never changed despite the nationwide Covid-19 era protest over police brutality.
“They didn’t know who took the video. Otherwise, they would have killed the person who also took the video. That is how wicked the Nigeria Police is.
“We shouldn’t have let off against these policemen even after #EndSARS. I have been saying it that the police did not change their ways. They only hid their atrocities more from the public.” He said.
Sowore called for the removal of the Delta Police Commissioner and all other top officials of the Force in the state, stressing that the state had recently become unsecured.
“My position is that both the Commissioner of Police in the state and all the top echelon of the police in Delta state must be relieved of their position immediately.
“Delta has become a very difficult place recently. It is a hub form renewed repression.” He added.