Justice Nicole Clay of the Lagos State High Court has acquitted and discharged three individuals detained over allegations related to their participation in the #EndSARS protest.

According to a statement by Michael Christian, Media and Communications Assistant at Amnesty International Nigeria, the released detainees are Sunday Okoro, Olumide Fatai, and Oluwole Isa.

Amnesty International Nigeria has urged authorities to provide updates on the status of other #EndSARS protesters held in prisons nationwide.

The statement highlights, “Sunday Okoro, Olumide Fatai, and Oluwole Isa should never have faced charges. They endured over three years and five months of detention on fabricated charges, including theft, arson, possession of unlawful firearms, and murder, first at Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre and previously at the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit in Lagos.”

Amnesty International further calls for the release of individuals like Daniel Joy-Igbo, Sodiq Adigun, Shehu Anas, and Akiniran Oyetakin, arrested in Lagos in 2020 and still held without trial at Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre.

Additionally, peaceful #EndSARS protesters such as Segun Adeniyi, Onuorah Odih, Jeremiah Lucky, Gideon Ikwujomah, Irinyemi Olorunwanbe, Quadri Azeez, Olamide Lekan, and Sadiq Riliwan remain detained without trial at Ikoyi Medium Security Correctional Centre since 2020.

Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, emphasizes, “The violation of human rights during #EndSARS demonstrates a blatant disregard for the right to peaceful assembly. All those detained solely for participating in peaceful #EndSARS protests must be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Sanusi stresses the obligation of Nigerian authorities to respect, protect, promote, and fulfill the right to peaceful protest, including directing security and law enforcement agencies to cease infringing on the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.