Two of the faces of #EndSARS protests against police brutality Serah Ibrahim and Banke Oniru have clashed on social media.
The #EndSARS protests took place in 2020 in several parts of the country. On October 20, 2020, protesters clashed with security forces at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.
On Sunday, Oniru alleged on X that the Lagos State Government offered N100 million to the coordinators of the 2020 #EndSARS protest as cash aid to victims of the incident. She claimed that lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) advised that the money should be collected.
“Following the EndSARS unrest, and during the panel of inquiry, the Lagos state government’s initial funding offer was met with resistance. @sarahibrahim and associates then consulted Mr. Femi Falana regarding the substantial sum proposed for advisory purposes,” she wrote.
“Despite Mr. Falana’s counsel to accept the funds as a gift, I deemed it incongruous to accept financial compensation from those we were opposing, fearing it may undermine our integrity.
“The first funds Sarah called me to pick up was 1.5m. The second was 1m. I have proofs. Messages to back it up. The #endsars coordinators shared millions of money severally. Going back and forth to pick a Ghana must go filled with cash at Alausa Ikeja.
“On two separate occasions, I entrusted my personal assistant to collect money from Sarah, ensuring she took photographs for evidentiary purposes. Afterwards, I shared images of the funds received on EndSARS United and Competent Nigerians platforms for public dissemination as giveaways. Adeshina Ademola Ogunlana of blessed memories was the only lawyer that stand genuinely for the endsars. He can never be bought.”
Oniru criticised Mr Falana, saying he was not a ‘saint’.
“Falana is a constant betrayal of our ideals. Remember he almost frustrated the tribunal,” she claimed.
Ibrahim responded on X on Sunday night, writing: “Madam Oniru thank you for starting this story but for you to write it this way is not just plain stupidity but severe ingeniousness.”
She added, “So yes, I was reached by the Lagos State Government to offer 100 million naira. A meeting they were trying to have for months but I kept refusing because I was rightfully pissed at them.
“Finally I attended one of the meetings after speaking with my lawyers SAN Fusika, who then took me to also consult jointly with SAN Falana on what to do.
“At one of the meetings, I attended with @akintollgate where one of Sanwo Olu’s commissioners apologized for what happened at the Toll Gate and wanted us to make amends. He spoke like a father, he was nice and very understanding and wanted us to make peace with the govt, and move on. Truthfully, his words calmed me.
“After all was said and blames passed back and forth, he stated there’s a financial offer to us to cover for all we must have spent and gone through during the period. An amount of a 100 million naira.
“Immediately I refused, I didn’t want to involve myself with it. And I spoke with Akin who agreed with my thought on it. I only requested that prosthetics be done for those who were amputated so that we can help them move around.
“So I have kept this to myself since February of 2022, and not told anyone about it and even up until April when the govt continued reaching out to me, until sometime in May, I got a call from someone I thought I could trust who was a part of the group too, Dabira. We spoke about some issues and I mentioned to her that oh, I had a meeting with the govt oh and they offered money but we won’t take it, but I told them we would send demands like a memorial and other things. The next thing I knew, I started getting calls that day up until the end of that month from various victims telling me they need the money, and I am only refusing the money because I am well to do but they are in pains and suffering. Dabira reached out to them and told them about it and they started to blast my phone.”
Mocking Oniru on Monday for allegedly blocking her after her response, Ibrahim said, “Unblock me, my lawyers want to tell you something.”
