There was tension on Monday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as Nigerian youths demanding an end to police brutality attempted taking the #EndSARS protest to the Presidential Villa.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Presidential Villa also known as Aso Rock Villa or Aso Villa is the workplace and official residence of the President of Nigeria since 1991 when Nigeria moved its capital from Lagos to Abuja.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) intercepted the #EndSARS protesters at the John Kennedy Street as they attempted to march through the back gate of the Presidential Villa.
TNG reports the #EndSARS protesters are protesting against what they call police brutality. However, the term, #EndSARS has become a metaphor seeking for better governance in the country.
Operatives of the NPF, in an attempt to disperse the protesters from marching to the Presidential Villa, gathered at Power House in Asokoro and fired teargas.
The police have also stationed personnel in front of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) headquarters with armoured personnel carrier and water cannons ready.
Also, soldiers had earlier taken over major streets and strategic points in the FCT.
Recall that at the inception of the protest, aside from demanding SARS be scrapped, the protesters demanded that all arrested protesters be released and justice be served to deceased victims of SARS, including compensation to their families.
They equally demanded that there should be an independent committee to oversee the investigations and prosecution of any member of SARS found guilty of extra-judicial killings.
They demanded that all personnel of the disbanded SARS undergo a psychological and medical evaluation as well as retraining before they should be redeployed to other services of the police.
The protesters also demanded that the salary of the police should be increased in a manner that they will be adequately compensated for protecting the lives and property of citizens.
Meanwhile, the government has set in motion the process to meet the demands of the #EndSARS protesters, including the setting up of judicial panels of enquiry by State Governments.