Few of us could have missed the headlines about the nationwide protests calling to end police brutality in Nigeria. But what’s really going and why? Historically, police forces in Nigeria have unlawfully killed thousands of the nation’s citizens, facing few or no repercussions. In 1992, The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was formed to eradicate armed robberies, kidnappings and further crimes. Protests began on 8 October after a video went viral showing an officer thought to be from SARS allegedly killing a man in the southern Delta state.
Promises to reform the system have been made, but campaigners say that it’s not enough. Some expressed their anger on social media using the hashtag #EndSARS, and the youth championed a liberation movement by protesting on the streets, vowing not to hold back until meaningful change was made. “The youth took the fight into their hands,” young activist Camille Shaiyen told us. “We stepped into the streets and protested peacefully for 12 days until the government shut it down. We have trended online, made demands to the government and written online petitions. The underestimated youth made the country stand still for nearly two weeks, with our brothers and sisters all around the […]
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