CHSR charges Odumosu on proper screening of arrested #EndSARS protest suspects before prosecution

The Center for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR) has called on the Lagos state police command to carried out diligent investigation on the over 200 people arrested recently in connection to the arson and vandalism in Lagos, arising from the #EndSARS protest in the state to avoid prosecution of innocent people that may have been wrongly arrested.

In a statement Signed on Tuesday by its National President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse and made available to The Factual Newspaper, the centre stated that it has been receiving complaints since Saturday from some victims’ relatives that their children were arrested in some areas where there were no crises and they were joined together with those picked from crisis scene.

The centre therefore urged the Lagos State Commissioner of police, Hakeem Odumosu to use his good office to ensure that all the arrested suspects are thoroughly screened before prosecution and free the innocent among them and as well ensure that those found culpable face the full weight of the law.

 The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Center for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR) has been drawn to the arrest of some Nigerians in connection to the anarchism that befall the country after the shooting of the #EndSARS protesters, which resulted to looting, maiming and burning of public properties by some hoodlums and miscreant that carted away goods worth millions of naira.

“We want to use this medium to appeal to the police authority in Lagos state, that is, the Commissioner of police, Lagos command and the AIG zone 2 to please ensure there is no any transfer of aggression in screening and investigating the acclaimed over 200 suspect arrested so far,  as it is obvious that some innocents must have fallen victim of the circumstances.

“The CHSR has been receiving complaint since Saturday from some victims relatives that their children were arrested in some areas where there are no crises and they were joined together with those picked from scene of incident, but we don’t want to believe this to be true.

“CHSR, as a reputable right group, we are in full support of the police to bring all the evil perpetrators to book. We are also appealing that a due diligent and unbiased screening should be conducted for the arrested suspect before prosecution.

“The report reaching us was that some families have been denied access to their children since Friday due to the nature of the case.

“We are appealing to the police authority to please ensure that even if only 5 people are found culpable out of the over 200 suspects arrested, they should be made to face the wrath of the law rather than prosecuting all of them because some police stations and officers were burnt and killed in the fracas.

“The law says ” IT IS BETTER FOR 99 ACCUSED TO ESCAPE THAN TO CONVICT ONLY 1 INNOCENT”, The Centre said.