# ENDSARS Protests Continue Nationwide, Campaigners Raise Toll Free Helpline For Medical, Food Needs
• Float Blood Donation Centre • NBA To Bail Arrested Persons Free, Establish Helpline • No Work, Market Tomorrow, Protesters Declare • Warns Against Deploying Soldiers
By Gbenga Salau, Eniola Daniel, Gloria Nwafor, Cleopatra Eki ( Lagos), Collins Olayinka, Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Tina Abeku ( Abuja) Charles Ogugbuaja ( Owerri), Joseph Wantu ( Makurdi) and Timothy Agbor ( Osogbo)
TWELVE days after the # ENDSARS protest started, the movement has not lost steam. The campaigners have already established a helpline to provide needs to their members nationwide.
According to the protesters, the helpline is 01 700 1755.
For the users, these are the prompt numbers: Press 1 for medical. Press 2 for legal. Press 3 for food and supplies.
Press 4, 5 or 6 for mental health emergencies.
Also, they said Nigerians willing to donate blood for injured victims of police brutality during these # Endsars protests should go to Maryland Mall by lifebankcares.
On his part, Human rights lawyer, Shehu Sani said the time to beg the protesting youths to call off the street action is rather late saying, “when the youths were pleading, they were not listening; now they are pleading and the youths are not listening.”
Also, the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) has put out a telephone number for anyone whose ward; relation is being held in police detention unlawfully.
It said: “The number is only for Whatapp and text messaging only. It gave the number as 0706 210 8806 saying lawyers are available to take on people’s human rights cases pro bono.”
The protesters have provided ambulances in for their members in Unity fountain, Abuja, Kaduna, Minna city gate, Tombia roundabout, Yenagoa, IBB square, Makurdi, government house, Port Harcourt, OAU campus, Ile Ife, Osun state, Panseke and Sango Ota in Ogun state. In Lagos, ambulances have been provided in Mushin, Shomolu, Ikotun, babalegba bus stop, Lekki tollgate, National stadium and
Egbeda.
Already, they have warned there will be total lockdown tomorrow if the government fails to come up with concrete resolution.
The protesters who started their peaceful walk at the Lagos State Secretariat,
Alausa, Lagos, moved to the Computer Village for the first time to declare that the protest will be expanded by tomorrow.
Yesterday, all roads leading to Kubwa and Dutse axis of Abuja were shut, causing heavy gridlock.
This was the first time protesters occupied Kubwa, a satellite town in Abuja.
Scores of protesters also occupied Owerri, Imo State, joining their counterparts in other states to protest. Similar protest had taken place last Tuesday, but it was not as massive as that of yesterday. The protesting youths marched through some streets of Owerri ( Bank, Okigwe and Wethdral Roads), settling for hours at the old Fire Service by Wethdral Roundabout.
Benue youths also came out in their thousands, moving through the major streets of Makurdi, the state capital to join the nationwide protests. The youths converged on the Ibrahim Badamasi
Babangida ( IBB) Public Square, Makurdi and marched round some major streets in the city chanting solidarity songs.
The youths said the protest was just the beginning of many more protest of such nature in the state. They said the protest would continue until government attends to their demand.
Meanwhile, suspected thugs attacked protesters in Osogbo, Osun State. One of the protesters, simply identified as Oloyede, was injured as the hoodlums macheted him.
They had gathered at Olaiya junction in Osogbo to resume their protest before some thugs wielding machete and other weapons stormed the area and dispersed them.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG) has debunked reports that it was shutting down oil installations over ongoing protest.
In a statement, yesterday, the National President of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, said that no organ of the union has ordered shutting down of fuel stations or oil installations.