Felicia Okpara, an EndSARS protester, who was one of the ladies dragged to Ojuelegba Police Station for videoing policemen shooting at protesters has testified before the Lagos State Judicial Panel.
Jomog News Nigeria reports that, Felicia Okpara, an #EndSARS protester, who was one of the ladies dragged to Ojuelegba Police Station for videoing policemen shooting at protesters has testified before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) related Abuses and other Matters.
Recall that at the peak of the #ENDSARS protest a video showing some ladies being dragged from Barracks Bridge across the road to Ojuelegba Police Station went viral. Felicia Okpara was one of the ladies in the video.
She claimed she was brutalized by officers simply for recording the violence that took place during one of the protests in the Surulere area of Lagos State.
Okpara told the panel that she had just concluded an interview in the area and was heading back home when she saw the protest and decided to join.
Shortly after, she heard gunshots and people started scampering for safety.
According to her, after running towards a police station, she decided to record the incident but was accosted by a police officer who asked why she was recording and ordered her to stop.
Felicia Okpara said she refused his orders, and the officer pulled out a gun on her while another joined in and both forcefully dragged herself and another lady to the police station nearby.
On getting there, several officers including women started beating and punching them. According to her, the beating was so much that she lost control and urinated on herself.
“While the beating was going on, I lost control of my body and my phone fell on the ground and one of them used his leg to smash it because he believed I was recording with it and I was going to pot it on the internet.
“While we were still at that gate, some were coming out, they joined the beating. Dragged me inside, that was where I lost control of my body, I peed on myself. I managed to get a hold of the phone because I knew that was the only thing I had,” Okpara said, fighting back tears
Felicia Okpara told the panel that one of the policemen was so enraged he was “flogging” her with the gun, until Desmond Elliot came to her rescue and this was after they made her take off her brassiere.
She said: “After taking off my bra, one policeman went inside to bring a broken mop stick and used it on a guy that was also arrested.
“He went out and came back with the same anger and started beating me with a gun. I was scared that he would pull the trigger. “I think he realised what he was doing and then stopped and started using the gun butt to beat me, while threatening to take me to Panti or Kirikiri.” The 27-year-old single mum said they were later taken upstairs and then brought downstairs, which was when she saw Desmond Elliot.
“Desmond Elliot asked where are the two ladies in the video trending online; that was when I knew he came for me. He made them release me and gave me N6,000. It was at about 10p.m.
“I was stinking and traumatised. There was no vehicle. I walked to Yaba. I could have been raped that night. “I asked a man if I could get a cab home, he said no that I should come and sleep in the bus. I looked for a hotel, paid with the N6,000 Desmond Elliot gave me and slept till 4a.m. “I couldn’t even take off my clothes,” Felicia Okpara added.
