Tens of thousands of Nigerians have been taking to the streets for more than two weeks to protest against police brutality.
The hashtag #EndSARS has been trending not just in Nigeria but across the world for several days [Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP]
21 Oct 2020
For two weeks Nigeria has been rocked by protests that erupted against police violence and evolved into broader anti-government demonstrations led by the country’s youth, leading to a deadly crackdown.
Young people mobilising through social media began staging demonstrations calling for the abolition of the federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which has long been accused of unlawful arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings.
KEEP READINGSARS: Lagos protesters break curfew amid gunfire, chaos
The Nigerian protests are about much more than police violence
The hashtag #EndSARS has been trending not just in Nigeria but across the world for several days.
What is SARS?
SARS was a special police unit set up in 1984 as Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, battled rising levels of crime and kidnappings.
Initially, it was successful in reducing cases of violent crime but more recently the unit had been “turned into banditry”, according to Fulani Kwajafa, the man who set up SARS.
In June 2020, Amnesty International released a report that documented at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial execution by SARS between January 2017 and May 2020.
What triggered the protests?
The protests were sparked by a viral video allegedly showing SARS officers killing a young man in the southern Delta state. Authorities denied the video was real.
The man who filmed the video was arrested, provoking even more anger.
What are the demands?
Tens of thousands of Nigerians have been taking to the streets for more than two weeks to protest against police brutality. The demonstrations, headed by the country’s youth, evolved into broader anti-government protests that were met with a deadly crackdown.
Their demands include structural police reforms and better pay for officers so they can be compensated for protecting lives, accountable government, respect for human rights, end of corruption release of all arrested protesters and justice for all victims of brutality and compensation for their families.
Many demonstrators are also calling for more wide-sweeping change in Nigeria, which has the largest number of people living in extreme poverty in the world and a massive youth unemployment rate.
The hashtag #EndSARS has been trending not just in Nigeria but across the world for several days.
What is SARS?
SARS was a special police unit set up in 1984 as Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, battled rising levels of crime and kidnappings.
Initially, it was successful in reducing cases of violent crime but more recently the unit had been “turned into banditry”, according to Fulani Kwajafa, the man who set up SARS.
In June 2020, Amnesty International released a report that documented at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial execution by SARS between January 2017 and May 2020.
What triggered the protests?
The protests were sparked by a viral video allegedly showing SARS officers killing a young man in the southern Delta state. Authorities denied the video was real.
The man who filmed the video was arrested, provoking even more anger.
What are the demands?
Tens of thousands of Nigerians have been taking to the streets for more than two weeks to protest against police brutality. The demonstrations, headed by the country’s youth, evolved into broader anti-government protests that were met with a deadly crackdown.
Their demands include structural police reforms and better pay for officers so they can be compensated for protecting lives, accountable government, respect for human rights, end of corruption release of all arrested protesters and justice for all victims of brutality and compensation for their families.
Many demonstrators are also calling for more wide-sweeping change in Nigeria, which has the largest number of people living in extreme poverty in the world and a massive youth unemployment rate.
People protest against alleged police brutality near to the Lekki toll gate [Sunday Alamba/AP]
“It became very clear very quickly that the protest cannot just be about SARS, because the kind of abuses that are documented with SARS squad are also something that has become part of everyday life of Nigerians in their contact with figures of authority across the board,” Annie Olaloku-Teriba, Nigerian affairs analyst, told Al Jazeera.
“The gross inequality which we’ve seen has meant that the young people going out on streets feel like it is a fight for survival for young people who’ve been given very little opportunity. The government’s response has just been open fire on protesters and they are experiencing that brutality is just making their demands of the protests broaden.”
Despite massive oil wealth and one of Africa’s largest economies, Nigeria’s people have high levels of poverty and lack of basic services, as a result of rampant corruption, charge rights groups.
How did the government respond?
With no signs of protesters backing down, President Muhammadu Buhari stepped in and disbanded the unit.
“The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reform in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood of our people,” Buhari said.
Last week, Muhammed Adamu, inspector general of police, said all SARS officers would be redeployed to other police commands, formations and units.
On October 13, thousands of people take to the streets in a string of cities, bringing traffic to a standstill in economic hub and largest city Lagos.
Two days later in a statement, the military issues a warning to “troublemakers” and says it “remains highly committed to defend the country and her democracy at all cost”.
How many people have died in protests?
In recent days, the protests have turned violent with shots fired at demonstrators.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International said there was “credible but disturbing evidence” that security forces in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital, had shot at protesters, killing them.
Amnesty estimates at least 15 people have died since demonstrations started, including two police officers.
“The gross inequality which we’ve seen has meant that the young people going out on streets feel like it is a fight for survival for young people who’ve been given very little opportunity. The government’s response has just been open fire on protesters and they are experiencing that brutality is just making their demands of the protests broaden.”
Despite massive oil wealth and one of Africa’s largest economies, Nigeria’s people have high levels of poverty and lack of basic services, as a result of rampant corruption, charge rights groups.
How did the government respond?
With no signs of protesters backing down, President Muhammadu Buhari stepped in and disbanded the unit.
“The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reform in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood of our people,” Buhari said.
Last week, Muhammed Adamu, inspector general of police, said all SARS officers would be redeployed to other police commands, formations and units.
On October 13, thousands of people take to the streets in a string of cities, bringing traffic to a standstill in economic hub and largest city Lagos.
Two days later in a statement, the military issues a warning to “troublemakers” and says it “remains highly committed to defend the country and her democracy at all cost”.
How many people have died in protests?
In recent days, the protests have turned violent with shots fired at demonstrators.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International said there was “credible but disturbing evidence” that security forces in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital, had shot at protesters, killing them.
Amnesty estimates at least 15 people have died since demonstrations started, including two police officers.
Authorities have imposed a 24-hour curfew in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, as moves are made to stop growing violence [AP/Sunday Alamba]On October 20, protests turned violent in a string of cities including Lagos and Abuja.
A round-the-clock curfew was imposed in Lagos and anti-riot police units were deployed nationwide.
That evening more than 1,000 people defied the curfew and gather at Lekki tollgate in Lagos, the epicentre of the demonstrations.
The Lagos governor initially said 25 people were wounded but that there were not fatalities. He later said the authorities were investigating the death of one person who suffered “blunt trauma” to the head.
Have the protests spread across the world?
The #EndSARS protests have taken place in several cities across the world including, London, Berlin, New York and Toronto.
Several celebrities like Kanye West, John Boyega, Diddy and Rihanna and Manchester United footballer Odion Ighalo have voiced their support for the protesters online.
On Tuesday, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on President Buhari and the Nigerian army “to stop killing” protesters.
SOURCE : AL JAZEERA
A round-the-clock curfew was imposed in Lagos and anti-riot police units were deployed nationwide.
That evening more than 1,000 people defied the curfew and gather at Lekki tollgate in Lagos, the epicentre of the demonstrations.
The Lagos governor initially said 25 people were wounded but that there were not fatalities. He later said the authorities were investigating the death of one person who suffered “blunt trauma” to the head.
Have the protests spread across the world?
The #EndSARS protests have taken place in several cities across the world including, London, Berlin, New York and Toronto.
Several celebrities like Kanye West, John Boyega, Diddy and Rihanna and Manchester United footballer Odion Ighalo have voiced their support for the protesters online.
On Tuesday, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on President Buhari and the Nigerian army “to stop killing” protesters.
SOURCE : AL JAZEERA
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