The #EndSARS protests currently happening in Nigeria have generated a lot of uprising concerns from global leaders, influencers, and celebrities across the world. Nigeria youths have championed this movement and taken to the streets to demand their lawful rights as citizens while lending their voices to end Police brutality and social injustice in the country.
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is a unit of the Nigerian Police Force. Over the years, there have been public records of the unit committing all manner of corruption and crimes across the country. This is backed up by digital proofs and pieces of evidence alongside the numbers of youths who have fallen victims of their extrajudicial killings. Despite this, the Nigerian government has failed to take proactive action to stop this barbaric act.
SARS units across Nigeria are often seen and caught in the act of arresting and detaining young people unlawfully while committing crimes like robbery, kidnapping, murder, brutality, and exploitations – the same criminal acts they are meant to protect the citizens from. Many young people have shared their experience and stories of police brutality on social media calling the Federal Government to put an end to the unit but to no effect.
On the 7th of October 2020 up until now, a massive outbreak of youths in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Portharcourt, and other major cities of the country took to the streets courageously to protest for the total disbandment of SARS, and the end of social injustice at the hands of the Nigerian police. This was done peacefully with a humanitarian spirit at heart while shunning acts of violence, tribal or religious indifferences that may distract their goal with the hope that their voices be heard.
Although the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has recently announced the disengagement of the SARS police unit while reporting that a new unit called the Special Weapon and Tactics team (SWAT) will take over from that effect.
However, the Nigerian youths are not satisfied with the questionable steps taken so far considering the fact that the Nigerian government has countlessly failed to keep to their word on the disbandment of SARS back as far back as 2017. They insist on a #5FOR5 demand while requesting actionable steps are taken for what was reported and true justice is served for all lost victims to Police brutality.
We want a Nigerian society where the child of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody.
Aisha Yesufu (2020)
Here are some highly engaging tweets from the uprising #EndSARS happening in Nigeria.
And here are some of the iconic photos taken from several parts of the country during the protests. Enjoy!
Have you ever been harassed by SARS officials in Nigeria at any given time? Soro soke! Share your story with us. We would feature you on our #NDShareYourStory platform. Got other iconic photos you had love for us to include? Kindly share with us on info@naomidestiny.com
Ps – All photos are the exclusive rights of the owners. We do not claim or accept to own them.
