Peter John( left )and human rights legal representative, Festus Ogun According

to a report by The PUNCH, fifteen months after being arrested and incorrectly detained for taking part in the #EndSARS demonstration, Peter John, regained liberty.

John, who comes from Borno State, informed The PUNCH that he is 23 years old.

According to John, he was arrested on October 23, 2020 on his way to work however release 15 months after his arrest.

“I had a horrible expereince in jail. I was arrested for what I didn’t do. I was not apprehended at any riot place. I was detained days after the riot on my way to operate at Lekki new market,” he told The PUNCH reporter while sharing his ordeal in jail.

The boy said he thought that he was going to pass away in jail due to the fact that of cravings and beating from “senior” detainees.

While emphasing that he suffered for an offense he understood nothing about, the 23-year-old stated, “They arrested me at Lekki Phase I. I was detained due to the fact that of the #EndSARS demonstration that I never participated in.

“They informed me that I belonged to those that caused riots in Lagos State. They likewise stated I belonged to those that burnt federal government properties. These are lies.

“I saw many bad things in the prison. I also learnt how to applaud God and stick with people in hard times. I have many unpleasant experiences to share.

“I truly suffered there. It was an extremely uncomfortable experience. I practically passed away ofhunger. A lot of people pass away of appetite there. Detainees can not even take in the kind of food they give to us. They offer us food two times a day. In the morning, they offer us beans and you dare eat the beans, you will fall ill and suffer diarrhoea.After the beans, they will provide us Garri (casava) at night.

“I fell seriously ill in the prison. If not for God and my household, I need to have been dead. I would not have lived to give this interview. Some individuals who are elders in the cell do beat us. They likewise send us on errands.

“Kirikiri prison is a place where you should do everything you are asked to do. You have no liberty. You will be significantly beaten if you resist, your human rights do not matter, and you can’t say anything.”

John stated it took the intervention of his parents and human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, for him to gain back freedom.

“I thank God that the lawyer assisted me out. He also helped others. I have truly suffered a lot. We are plenty that they apprehended. Many innocent people remain in the prison because of EndSARS. Some are still there as we speak,” he added.

There’s need for criminal justice reform– Festus Ogun

While lamenting that John was kept in prison despite the strucking out of his case by the court, the legal representative called for a reform of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

He stated, “We need an urgent reform in our criminal justice system. This need to not occur in the criminal justice however the first location system is criminal.

“The case was struck out December 17, 2021. It is the authority who arrested and took him to prison that must ensure he is out because the case was started out, however they refused. We need to fix the system.”

#ENDSARS

The #ENDSARS demonstrations lasted between October 7th and 20th in Lagos and a number of other states of the federation.

While the protests lasted, relations, good friends, and associates of missing persons claimed their relations had actually either been eliminated or held incommunicado by security representatives.

Of specific concern was the Lekki toll gate shooting of Tuesday, October 20, where peaceful #ENDSARS protesters were shot at by security agents, causing a yet-to-be determined variety of casualties.

The shooting event had actually drawn in national and worldwide outcry, with the Lagos State and Federal federal governments being prompted to unwind the identity of the shooters and who deployed them.

Ajudicial panel set up by Lagos State stated people were killed at Lekki tollgate by security operatives however the government through a whitepaper panel debunked the claim.

ToriNG