A social media user, Princess Banke Oniru, has alleged that some coordinators of the 2020 EndSARS protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force were involved in sharing millions of naira, allegedly provided by the Lagos State Government.
The EndSARS movement, which gained global attention in late 2020, was sparked by widespread reports of extrajudicial killings, torture, and extortion by SARS officers. The protests reached a peak in October 2020 when unarmed protesters were allegedly shot at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos by soldiers and police.
Oniru, in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), claimed that while initial funds offered by the Lagos State Government were rejected, some coordinators later accepted and distributed millions of naira. She stated that she initially declined the money but later instructed her assistant to collect it on her behalf, which she then shared as giveaways.
“The #EndSARS coordinators shared millions of money severally… I entrusted my personal assistant to collect money from Sarah Ibrahim, ensuring she took photographs for evidentiary purposes,” Oniru wrote. She added that she had evidence of receiving N1.5 million and N1 million on separate occasions, which she shared with the public.
Lagos Government Allegedly Offered N100 Million
In response, one of the named coordinators, Sarah Ibrahim, countered Oniru’s claims, accusing her of fabricating the story. Ibrahim confirmed that the Lagos State Government had offered N100 million but insisted that she did not accept the money for herself.
In a detailed post on X, Ibrahim explained that after consulting with her lawyers, including prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN, she rejected the offer. Instead, she suggested that the funds be used to support victims of the Lekki Tollgate shooting, including providing prosthetics for those who had been injured.
“So yes, I was reached by the Lagos State Government to offer N100 million… I immediately refused, I didn’t want to involve myself with it,” Ibrahim wrote. She later reconsidered her stance after receiving calls from the victims’ families and worked with her lawyers to ensure the money was directed to those who needed it.
Ibrahim also claimed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration apologized for the tollgate incident, expressing a desire to make peace with the protest coordinators.
As of Monday morning, there had been no official response from the Lagos State Government regarding the allegations of fund disbursement to protest coordinators. Governor Sanwo-Olu’s spokesperson, Gboyega Akosile, had not replied to requests for comment.
