Princess Banke Oniru, a social media user, has alleged that coordinators of the 2020 #EndSARS protest against police brutality in Nigeria received millions of naira from the government.
The protest, which garnered global attention, aimed to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) due to accusations of extrajudicial killings, extortion, and torture. It culminated in violence when unarmed protesters were allegedly killed at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos by soldiers and police.
Oniru, in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), claimed that while an initial offer from the Lagos State Government was rejected, millions were later shared among some coordinators.
She admitted that although she initially resisted, she eventually instructed her assistant to collect the money and distributed her share as giveaways.
Contradicting Oniru’s claims, Sarah Ibrahim, another prominent figure in the movement, confirmed that she was offered ₦100 million by the Lagos State Government but declined it. Ibrahim said she consulted with lawyers, including Femi Falana, SAN, and recommended that the money be used to support victims of the Lekki Tollgate shooting rather than accepting it for personal use.
Ibrahim explained that despite her rejection, she was pressured by victims’ families and later asked the government to directly compensate them, stressing that she never accepted the funds personally.
As of Monday, PUNCH reports that there has been no official response from Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s office regarding these allegations.
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Credit – @TheSerahIbrahim, @HRH_bankeoniru, PUNCH