For a week now, people across Nigeria have united their voices to protest against police brutality and demand justice for victims. Mobilised through social media, the youth-led rallies in several parts of the country initially targeted the federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious police unit long accused of harassment, extortion, and extrajudicial killings.
After days of demonstrations, authorities later announced the scrapping of SARS and the redeployment of its officers to other police units. However, the announcement fell short of expectations for many protesters, who have since pledged to continue fighting for accountability, an end to police violence, and a complete overhaul of the security apparatus. The reason for this decision was the history behind the creation and frequent reform of the rogue police unit.
In 1992, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad was set up by the Commissioner of Police to curb a spate of armed robberies in Nigeria. By 2009 it had become a large and powerful unit, and its focus expanded beyond armed robbers to internet fraudsters. It had also become largely uncontrolled. Members of the unit were allowed to carry guns, drive unmarked cars, and operate without badges or uniforms. They became known for their violent harassment of innocent young Nigerians. They also forced Nigerians to withdraw money from ATMS and make transfers under duress. There are numerous examples of people who have been raped, harassed, flogged, extorted, injured, or killed by the unit.
In 2016 a campaign was launched calling for the Special Anti-Robbery Squad to be disbanded. It became widespread and drew some attention. Within three years the unit had been reformed, overhauled, decentralised, and disbanded about three or four times. But without success. Then in early October, the first protests started against the infamous police squad. Mostly young Nigerians gathered in front of the House of Assembly in Lagos State to demand the end of the unit. Within days thousands of protesters had gathered in 100 cities around the world, with the #EndSARS trending globally. The government announced on October 11 that, yet again, it was disbanding the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. But the protesters have not let up. They are now calling for wider reforms of the police.
This #EndSARS movement and cause were noble given the fact that this issue is one that has been bedeviling Nigerian youths especially those in the Southern region. The SARS menace was heavily concentrated in places like Lagos State, Anambra State, Delta State, Rivers State, Abia State, Ogun State, Osun State, Imo State, Enugu State, Bayelsa State, Cross-River State, Benue State and a few pockets of incidents spread around other states with Northern states having the lowest level of occurrences. Firstly, the protest was not just about the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. It was the result of pent-up anger over the dehumanising policies of government, maladministration, injustice, hunger as well as high energy and fuel prices. The cumulative effect of these roll into one. That was why the protesters refused to end their action. It seems this is seen as a once in a lifetime opportunity to address critical national injustices.
Read Also: #EndSARS: Group Decries Effects Of Protests On Nigeria
At first, there was good coordination, arrangements were made for food and water as well as music to keep them busy. They had medical personnel on standby, ambulances, and mobile toilets for convenience. They also hired private security (bouncers) for protection, raised money, and ensured properties are safe. And they made it clear that they had no leader. But after some time, like in the way of past protests and uprisings in Nigeria, the Government tried to coerce them to call the protests off as it was getting a bit rowdy and impeding on economic activities in the State. All efforts to get them to leave the streets fell on deaf ears and even warnings from well-wishing Nigerians who got classified information on how the Nigerian government was about to resort to lethal force to drive the protesters away was met with a complete rebuff.
The resulting incident saw the government using military force to intimidate and chase the protesters away and deter future protests around the country. This led to the death of some of the protesters and the following days saw a breakdown of Law and Order in some states in Nigeria over the involvement of the military. This further led to more deaths and the destruction of a lot of lives and properties.
Protests in Nigeria have always ended badly with a good 80% of protests being left to rot without meeting any tangible agendas due to how the Nigerian Government always tries to intimidate and disperse the protesters and their insitgators or leaders using which ever means possible. Between 1966 to 1999, Nigeria had a series of violent protests in form of coups and was led by various military governments. The initial claims to rid the country of the ‘men in high and low places who seek bribes and demand 10%’ was seemingly forgotten. In the end, the violent protests i.e. coups were unable to deliver the better governance they promised. Very soon, these military regimes that seized power through violent protests soon became the target of protests themselves. The chickens had come home to roost in the form of national humiliation. Renowned artist and political activist, Fela Kuti, became a popular voice of non-violent and relentless protests. Songs like Zombie and International Thief Thief were widely recognised for what they were – scathing indictments of the government. Fela often went as far as buying advertising space in daily newspapers to push his incisive criticisms of the government. And he was persistent. Even after the 1977 military attack on his home that led to the death of his mother, Fela continued to protest. That same year he released Sorrows, Tears and Blood, an account of the army’s reign of tyranny and terror, and Nigeria’s docility.
As is common in authoritarianism, successive military governments began to fully appreciate the threat that the media posed to their rule. When General Muhammadu Buhari took power between December 1983 and 1985, he instituted the ‘War Against Indiscipline’, devolved into a war against the press—the voice of the people. As opposition politicians, journalists, and anyone against the government spoke up, arrests and detention became the norm. Activists like Ken Saro-Wiwa began leading regional protests against the government while activist lawyers like Gani Fawehinmi pushed the boundaries of the legal system. In the end, Ken Saro Wiwa paid for his activism with his life, and chief Gani Fawehinmi was arrested, detained, and charged to court several times with many other known and unknown figures assassinated or ousted from their positions due to their involvement with the protests.
Naturally, protesters and those who were bold enough to speak up against injustice have had to contend with repression. People in abusive positions of power do not back down easily. The risk to lives and properties of protesters is therefore immense. But that should not be the case for an average Nigerian Youth. The Nigerian Government as it is is one of the worst governments in the World. From the mishandling of funds, corruption, terrible infrastructure, nepotistic appointments, and stifling of good media coverage to blatant disregard for citizens and very poor international relations. In other words, the country is not worth the life of any youth especially the lives of southern youths.
From time immemorial, the Nigerian Government is well known for its use of brutal force against protesters especially when it involves affairs that meddle with their system of Government. The only way to get the undivided attention of the government is through skillful diplomacy and well-structured strategies which would involve having contingency plans for any occurrence. Nigerian leaders are mostly old individuals who are not well acquainted with the act of negotiation and bargaining, using this fact against them would be a good strategy at beating them at familiar turfs, thus getting a well-deserved audience and meeting an agenda without the loss of lives or descending into anarchy.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
