Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
Insurance companies operating in Nigeria have paid over N11 billion as claims to victims of the #EndSARS protests that shook the nation in October 2020.
During the nationwide demonstration for the disbandment of the notorious police unit, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), several properties belonging to the government and private individuals and businesses were destroyed.
It was alleged that government officials sponsored thugs to disrupt the protest, which started as a peaceful march.
For some #EndSARS victims, who had insured their properties and businesses, they had to run to their underwriters for claims and at a news briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mr Ganiyu Musa, disclosed that members of the group have paid over N11 billion as claims for losses suffered during the aftermath of the #Endsars protest.
“As at January, insurers have paid over N11 billion as claims that arose from the #EndSARS protest of 2020, ” Mr Musa told newsmen at the gathering.
According to him, NIA will continue to emphasise the need for insurance companies to pay all genuine insurance claims and will not hesitate to sanction erring member companies.
The insurers, as of October 2021, had paid over N9 billion as claims of possible N20 billion estimated from the protest.
Hence, the operators paid an additional N2 billion between October 2021 and January 2022.
The association had put the number of insured businesses that were affected as a result of the protest at about 2,000.
Protesters under the banner of #EndSARS had trooped out in Nigeria’s major towns and cities in October 2020, demanding an end to police brutality and comprehensive reform of the police in the country.
The two-week protest, which was initially peaceful, suddenly turned violent after it was hijacked by hoodlums and last year, a Lagos State Panel found that there was an invitation of the Nigerian Army to Lagos State made by the Lagos State Government through the Governor before the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army deployed its soldiers to the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of October 20.
The panel had also found that there was an attempt to cover up the Incident of October 20 by the cleaning of the Lekki Toll Gate and the failure to preserve the scene ahead of potential investigations.
