The Lagos State Ministry of Justice will prosecute 229 suspects arrested by the police for allegedly using the #EndSARS protest to destroy and loot public and private properties in the state.
This was made known in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday by Mr Kayode Oyekanmi, the Ministry’s Director, Public Affairs.
The statement said that the Lagos State Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, has gone round relevant Police formations for that purpose.
According to the statement, the DPP went with a team of prosecutors to evaluate files of those arrested by the police with a view to determine those that have prima facie cases made against them.
So far, 229 suspects have been arrested by the police for various criminal offences ranging from arson, murder, stealing, malicious damage of properties and assault before and after the state-wide curfew.
The curfew was imposed by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Oct. 20 to restore law and order in the state.
“The Lagos State Ministry of Justice noted that after the evaluation exercise that those that have cases to answer will be arraigned before the courts while the others will be released.“
NAN reports that some hoodlums had hijacked the peaceful protest of youths against brutality by operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police personnel tagged #EndSARS to commit various crimes across Lagos.
