#EndSARS protesters have ignored the notice of a ban on their activities by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
Despite the statement by the Administration banning the protests, owing to the violation of COVID-19 protocols, the protesters stormed the National Assembly Complex on Thursday, to further press home their demands.
The protesters blocked the entrance of the National Assembly Complex, chanting solidarity songs and preventing the movement of vehicles.
Security agents, however, barricaded the entrance of the National Assembly Complex to prevent the #EndSARS protesters from gaining entrance.
“The Federal Government cannot intimidate us. We are on peaceful protests and until the Inspector-General of Police truly addresses the situation at hand, we will continue the #EndSARS protests. When the protests started, was there no COVID-19? It’s a way of intimidating us into backing out. And they will not succeed,” one of the protesters, Agu Andrew, told The Point.
The Point had reported that the Federal Capital Territory Security Committee, on Thursday, banned #EndSARS protests in Abuja for alleged violation of COVID-19 protocols.
The FCT Administration said while it recognised the rights of citizens as regards freedom of association and movement, it was concerned that despite the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, last Sunday, the demonstrations had continued, causing inconveniences to law-abiding citizens.
The decision of the Administration was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday titled, “COVID-19: FCT Security Committee prohibits street demonstrations”, signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Anthony Ogunleye.
The statement said the decision was made at a meeting held on Tuesday to review the security situation in the FCT and address identified challenges.
