BY LYNNE INOUYE AND SYDNEY WESCHCKE
EDITOR-IN-CHEIF IN TRAINING AND STAFF WRITER
Over the past few weeks, tens of thousands of Nigerians have amassed to protest repeated instances of police brutality and terrible governance. The initial goal of these protests was to shut down the notorious Special Anti Robbery Squad, or SARS, which reports of officers violating numerous human rights. The call to end SARS is not a new thing either; protests have been happening on and off since 2017. That just leaves the question of what exactly is the Special Anti Robbery Squad?
In 1992, SARS was set up as a way to combat armed robbery in Lagos, Nigeria, and its surrounding suburbs. It rapidly grew out of control, however, as the officers in it have no form of accountability. With many cases of police brutality, there has been more worldwide attention focusing on what SARS is doing. According to the Human Rights Organization, people in SARS custody were “subjected to a variety of methods of torture including hanging, mock execution, beating, punching and kicking, burning with cigarettes, waterboarding, near-asphyxiation with plastic bags…and sexual violence.”
SARS is also targeting many young people, especially those carrying laptops, smartphones, or other electronics. The government is very against such people as well, with the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, calling them lazy and unwilling to work. The starting point to the protests was when there were reports of SARS attacking a young man and driving off in his luxury jeep. This incident is what sparked the protests and the use of the hashtag #EndSARS.
Protests are still happening today, and it appears that they’ll only begin to get more violent, with the Lekki Massacre on October 20 being a prime example. In this incident, Nigerian soldiers fired upon peaceful protestors at Lekki Toll Gate, killing ten people. More reports of soldiers and police attacking and killing protesters are still coming in, as well. Nigerians, however, have not given up. Protestors, mostly made up of Nigerian youths, remain determined and continue to fight to have their voices heard and for a safe future in their country.
Thanks for reading this article; stay safe and stay informed!
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/26/massive-protests-nigeria-explained/
https://www.gq.com/story/endsars-protests-police-brutality-nigeria