Man Cries Out Over Torture, Treat to Family Life for Participating in Endsars Protest
The endsars protest may have come and gone, the aftermath still lingers as a man identified as Thomas Emake Emoekpere has cried out for help over the torture he has received in the hands of police and several threat to his life and that of his family members from suspected political thugs and mercenaries.
Thomas Emoekpere was fingered as one of the organisers of endsars protest, a movement that originated online on October 4, 2020, via twitter and metamorphosed to a physical peaceful protest that kicked off first in Lagos on October 8, 2020. The protest was launched as a call to end Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit of the Nigerian Police with a long record of abuse against Nigerian citizens and extrajudicial killings.
Events however turned otherwise on October 20, 2020, when military men opened fire, shooting at the protesters where, according to reports, many people were killed and many injured. The shooting however provoked the youths and the protesters and many hoodlums hijacked the protest, destroyed government properties, burnt down some police stations, and broke into prisons to let prisoners run away, not just in Lagos but across the country. The development made the government launch a manhunt for the protesters, the organisers and sponsors of the protest not only in Lagos but across the country.
As of press time, some of the perceived vibrant organisers and sponsors of the protest have been arrested and prosecuted, and the government is still on the lookout for many others including Obianuju Catherine Udeh popularly known as DJ Switch.
The then Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday November 3, 2020 said that 1, 590 suspects have so far been arrested across country during and after the endsars protest who were suspected to be supporters, organiser or sponsor of the violence.
It was gathered that Thomas Emoekpere received a letter of invitation from the Nigeria Police Authority in June 2021 but on getting to the station, he was thrown into the cell, beaten and tortured. He was said to have spent 2 weeks in the cell until he was granted bail after much ado and then landed in the hospital for treatment.
It was learnt that on several occasions, some unknown and suspected political thugs have chased Thomas Emoekpere on the road and attempted to attack him. It was learnt that some men in uniform and suspected political thugs had visited his home on December 2022, but when they couldn’t see him, they end up beaten his wife, Mrs. Chloris Emoshiogwe Emoekpere and his aged mother mercilessly, such that they both landed in the hospital unconscious. While Mrs. Emoshiogwe Emoekpere recovered and was discharged after some days later, his mother couldn’t survive it, as she died on January 4, 2023.
According to sources, as of the time of filing this report, Thomas Emake Emoekpere and his family are living in fear and helplessness. It was gathered that they relocated from Lagos to Ogun State and later to Edo State but their assailants have not relented in threatening them in both states. As of the time of filling this report, sources cannot ascertain the whereabouts of Thomas Emoekpere and his family.
Meanwhile, DJ Switch and a popular Lagos pastor who was regarded as one of the prime sponsors of the endsars protest, after they successfully ran away from the reach of authority in Nigeria since 2020 have never returned to Nigeria till date. Some high-profile activists who support endsars have also gone into hiding or left the country. For instance, there was a public outcry when Modupe Odele, a lawyer helping the protesters, said that her passport was confiscated at the airport.
