Protests have erupted in Nigeria, calling for the end of SARS, the Nigerian Special Anti-Robbery Squad, after the force shot and killed a young boy in Ughelli, Nigeria.
Since its conception in 1992, SARS has targeted, harassed, and even tortured countless Nigerian people, often targeting young men who wear dreads, have tattoos, or own expensive cars and iPhones, suspecting they are criminals. The Nigerian government designed SARS in 1992 as an undercover operation and directed officers to disguise themselves in plain clothing. Many Nigerian citizens consider them a force of terror.
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Philomena Celestine, a 25-year-old Nigerian, said, “My four-year-old niece was in the vehicle, but they cocked their guns at our car and drove my brothers into the bush where they harassed them for over 30 minutes and accused them of being cybercriminals. They could see my graduation gown but that did not deter them. My sister was trembling and crying in fear,” said Celestine to Al Jazeera reporter Sada Malumfashi.
#EndSARS was created on social media and has spread to multiple platforms to bring attention to the injustice and has found support from Beyoncé to Joe Biden and countless other people flocking to their feeds to show their support.
As the protests have continued to rage on, Nigerian security forces opened fire on a group of protestors in the nation’s capital of Lagos. The attack wounded 25 people and killed at least one protestor. “It was chaos. Somebody got hit straight beside me and he died on the spot,” said an unnamed witness to BBC News. In response to the protests, an indefinite 24-hour curfew has been mandated in Lagos and other regions in Nigeria.
In response to the protests, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said criminals have taken advantage of the protests and that the “protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the wellbeing of (Nigerian) society.”
As of Oct. 11, President Muhammadu Buhari officially dissolved SARS. A new police force is in the process of being created, and members of the new force will be trained by the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to a report from Reuters. Although SARS has been dismantled, Nigerian citizens like Charles Avackaa fear that dismantling the force is not enough. “They all need to be punished or disciplined,” said Charles Avackaa to Reuters reporters Alexis Akwagyiram and Abrahim Achirga. Avackaa says that SARS has extorted 100,000 nairas ($262.7) from him.
According to an Amnesty International report titled “You Have Signed Your Death Warrant,” at least 82 Nigerian men report having been taken in by SARS and tortured until they were on the verge of death. An unnamed man recalls being suspended by his arms and legs on an iron rod until he fell unconscious. “My body ceased to function.” SARS officers then poured water over him to revive him. After regaining consciousness, he was detained in a cell for two weeks. He was denied access to a lawyer, a doctor, or his family. Since his release in 2016, no one has been held accountable for his torture.
Police forces worldwide seem to follow the recurring theme of abusing their power against vulnerable citizens, getting away with their actions while people are powerless against them. Nigeria is experiencing a strong push for social change, a sentiment shared by Hong-Kong protestors, American protestors, and many other people fed up with being terrorized by unaccountable forces.
