In recent months, we have seen people in the United States stand up to police brutality and demand change for the black community. These protests have gained support from all around the world, but now it is time to bring attention to another country fighting against police brutality: Nigeria.
Perhaps you have seen the hashtag, #EndSARS. The hashtag is a slogan for a social movement against police brutality in Nigeria; it’s a push towards ending The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). This branch of the Nigerian police force was constructed in 1992 in an attempt to combat high crime rates on armed robberies and other serious felonies. In the initial days of this special unit, SARS officers would operate undercover with no special government or security insignia, acting as a faceless security force. They were tasked with monitoring radio communications as well as facilitating arrests of armed robbers and other criminals in essentially whatever way they pleased.
This authority has led the department to develop into one that illicitly arrests, harasses, detains, kidnaps, rapes, murders, and steals from citizens they are meant to defend. Furthermore, officers started targeting and arresting Nigerian youth on the basis that they are “online fraudsters,” simply for wearing or having nice things, such as an iPhone. This constant abuse of human rights has gone too far and for too long. Nigerians, who have been fighting against SARS for years, have had enough.
Protests have been building momentum since 2017, however, the most recent ones were evoked by graphic footage that surfaced at the beginning of October. While the violence of the officers enraged many, the majority of the protests were clearly peaceful. Nonetheless, their peacefulness was only met with more violence. Therefore, as these recent protests gain more attention, the Nigerian government faces enormous pressure to address the merciless acts against their citizens.
On Tuesday, October 20th, protestors in Lagos were attacked by security forces who opened fire on them. Witnesses say that they saw numerous bodies on the ground, which The New York Times later confirmed to be a dozen. The governor of Lagos, Sanwo-Olu, addressed the people and voiced his understanding for them, confessing that this police brutality is endangering society. However, Nigeria’s President Muhammad Buhari addressed the citizens on Thursday, October 22nd, saying that the youth should end the protests as the government had already heard their voices and acted accordingly. He did not once speak on the inhumane shootings of the protestors.
SARS was dismantled on October 11th in response to the protests in Nigeria and due to worldwide pressure, but the fight is not over. The officers will be deployed once again and will likely continue to abuse citizens, as we’ve seen in the events of October 20th. This is a time when Nigeria needs our help. It is shameful to stand by and watch protestors be shot and killed whilst fighting police brutality, an issue that is still being tackled within the United States. Contrary to what many may believe, there are ways to help Nigerians from wherever you may live. Magnify the situation. Continue to spread awareness on social media and continue to remind and educate yourself and others on the injustice in Nigeria; awareness will help lead to change. Donate whatever you can, whether it be money or time. Organizations like MentallyAware, Flutterware, and Gatefield Impact are working to aid protestors and help them in their fight. All of the previous actions are forms of protest, so go out and protest. Speak out, fund protestors, do whatever you can to get the message across: End SARS.
The following are petitions to sign and donations to help protestors:
Petitions:
Donations:
Written by: Ayat Younis
Edited by: Eliza Quesenberry, Nicole Walker, & Paige Inocencio