SARS: EXPLAINED
SARS has been terrorizing Nigeria, and it's crucial that awareness is brought to these recent events. By reading this blog post you will be informed on what is SARS, what SARS has done, the #EndSARS movement, the Nigerian government's response, and how you can help.
What is SARS?
SARS stands for The Special Anti-Robbery Squad, and it's a special branch of the Nigerian Police Force. Created in 1992, it was made to tackle serious crimes such as carjackings, kidnappings, and robberies. However, now the police unit has abused their power and turned towards targeting Nigerian civilians. The founder himself, Fulani Kwajafa, admits that SARS “turned into banditry,” and feels guilty and sad about what his unit has become.
What has SARS done?
SARS has a long list of crimes. In the June 2020 report released by Amnesty International, between January 17-May 2020, at least 82 horrifying cases by SARS officers were documented. These included:
Torture
Ill treatment
Extrajudicial executions
Harassment
Physically and sexual abuse
Unfortunately, It didn’t stop at 82 cases. Thousands of civilians have suffered at the hands of this agency, with one of these moments actually being caught on camera. A video circulated in which, according to The Guardian, showed SARS officers dragging two men into a hotel and shooting one outside. This didn’t go unnoticed.
The #EndSARS movement
The recent movement sparked from the previous video. It went viral and was widely shared over social media. Many influences and celebrities commented on the situation in Nigeria, including Beyonce, President-Elect Joe Biden, Cardi B, and Drake.
#EndSARS is a decentralized social movement and series of protests that hopes to disband SARS in Nigeria for its police brutality. Online, over 28 million tweets with this hashtag have been accumulated on Twitter alone. People have used social media to spread awareness towards the end SARS movement and the horrible mistreatment of Nigerians at the hands of this unit.
There have been protests in many major cities in Nigeria. One of the most tragic ones happened in Lagos, Nigeria on October 20th, where the Nigerian Army shot and killed at least 12 peaceful protesters. This moment is remembered as the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre, but the people kept on fighting, despite the government trying to put them down. Protests have been held all over the world as well, in cities such as Dublin, Manchester, London, and Manhattan. The demonstrators' goal is to put an end to abuses and respect for human rights in all parts of the Nigerian police force.
They’ve also adopted the “#5for5” scorecard that shows little progress on the five core demands from the government (click the link to check it out!)
The Government's Response
On Oct. 12th, President Muhammadu Buhari agreed to disband SARS, explaining that this would be “the first step in our commitment to extensive police reform.” However, ever since 2015, the Nigerian government has promised to “reform” and now to “disband” SARS multiple times, without a single officer held for abuse charges, even after passing anti-torture legislation in 2017. Therefore the government's remarks might seem promising, but there is good reason to be skeptical of them.
Additionally, after this the government progressively targeted protesters with violence, which can be seen from the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre and multiple videos and photos show law enforcement firing bullets and using tear gas on innocent protesters. Two days after it, President Buhari stated that the government would not “allow anybody or groups to disrupt the peace of the nation.” He even prohibited public protests amidst national curfews. The message was clear: In order to put down the #EndSARS movement, the government is prepared to continue to use force.
How can you help?
Remember, collective action begins with individual action, so...
EDUCATE yourself on what's really going on, which you’ve probably done by reading this blog post (feel free to read some of the other articles linked down below as well!).
INFORM others on the problem. It's up to you to spread awareness, either online or to the people around you!
SUPPORT the movement. One way you can do this is by donating to collectives such as Nigerian Diasporas Against SARS, The Feminist Coalition, and this verified Go Fund Me.
DEMONSTRATE! If there is a protest near you, be COVID cautious and try to attend it.
Thanks for reading!
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