Activist Eholor
Human rights activist and President of One Love Foundation, Chief Patrick Eholor has said he and other activists will stop at nothing to ensure that all government officials involved in the killing of innocent Nigerians at Lekki tollgate last year, are brought to justice.
He also said those responsible for the October 20, 2020 massacre will be dragged before the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICC) in Hague for committing crimes against humanity.
He said his foundation has been working round the clock in conjunction with other civil society organisations and human rights lawyers towards bringing the perpetrators of the Lekki massacre to justice.
He disclosed this in Abuja at the weekend while narrating to journalists his experience following his arrest in Lagos by the police during the #EndSARS memorial protest on October 20, 2021.
Eholor said, “We saw the blood dripping from the Nigerian flags and we also saw (former Lagos State governor, Babatunde) Fashola who became a forensic expert overnight; for a two-term governor to humiliate himself publicly. I am happy that the whole world is seeing it. You are aware that Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State expressed concern about human rights violations in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is also aware that we have what supercedes sovereignty which is the court in the Hague. So if they don’t nip it in the bud and follow the white paper report then they are welcome to the Hague. My lawyer, Samuel Ihensekhien is ready to drag them to the limit.
“We are ready to support and collaborate with any foundation to make sure that we insist and we ask that Lai Mohammed (Minister of Information and Culture) must apologise to Nigerians, resign and be disgraced.”
He said his foundation took the first initiative when the Nigerian government placed a ban on Twitter by dragging the government to court to challenge the action.
“We are glad and the judgment is coming very soon and we know that we will get it. We know that they have no right to ban Twitter. After they did that, the government officials who are denying us the use of Twitter, people like Lai Mohammed, people like Nasir El-Rufai were still using the same Twitter.
“I wanted to be part of the anniversary of #EndSARS and I was advocating for the building of a movement for those young people the soldiers and police killed and to have a monument for them and that was why I was there to give them my support but unfortunately the police have not learnt their lessons. Before I could say anything, they descended on me.”
He explained that he committed no offence and that he was speaking and agitating for the cause of the police on the need for the adequate payment of their salaries and building of barracks for them.
He noted that the police have not in any way stopped their brutality against innocent Nigerians since the ban on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by the former Inspector General of Police.
“I think we are deceiving ourselves, I think the police are victims as much as I was also a victim because you can’t even count the number of extrajudicial killings that have happened after the #EndSARS. So nothing has really changed.
“The police have always said that there will be no roadblock, no unlawful stop and search but they still do it. Imagine in the 21st century, young boys and girls cannot use iPhones because they described them as Yahoo boys. You cannot have a tattoo on your body, they will label you as criminal,” the activist added.
He berated the police for chasing shadow and not going after the real criminals who have stolen the commonwealth of Nigerians.
“The young boys and girls in this country are not the problem but the whole elites that we recycle that have stolen the commonwealth of Nigerians for their own selfish interest are the problem of this country, not the young boys and young women who are just trying to struggle,” he added.
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