VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO

Rather than abating the #EndSARS protest is growing wings as it enters Day 13 with accompanying twists and turns. It is as though there is some competition among the youths in especially southern states as they jostle to organize such protests and have their towns and themselves ‘registered’ in social media which is giving ample space to these protests with generous splashing of photographs therefrom. It is and has been the trending story there from day one.

   Conservative media followed later making it their headline stories too as it escalated and trended continuously.  And that (social media) is what has kept the fire burning in the youths, together with the fact that popular entertainment figures a.k.a. celebrities are in the forefront of these protests. Consider that some of these artistes have about a million followers so that a single tweet by any one of them goes far and wide, read by millions of their adoring fans that regard them as their idols and wish to emulate them. Then you have an inkling of how strong their voices are in this digital age. Hence, their being called, ‘social media influencers’. 

Consider also that despite the mouth watering gifts showered on winner of the 2020 Big brother show, Multichoice, organizers of the show still raked in handsome profit from it with corporate bodies paying through their noses to have their advertisements aired during the show. Why? Because millions of Nigerian youths were addicted to it just, to see their favourite ‘stars’. Big brother Nigeria show was driven mainly by social media which upped its media ratings.

And the #EndSARS protests spread its tentacles abroad to the Diaspora, thanks to the social media. Nigerians are found in virtually all parts of the world. One can bet that if the moon were habitable for humans, Nigerians would be among its residents. Nigerians abroad staged their own #EndSARS protests in notable foreign capital cities. Some of them even went to the CNN headquarters in Los Angeles, USA.   

Also, some Nigerian footballers plying their trade overseas  further amplified the protest in the international arena by displaying ‘#EndSARS’ shirts when they scored or giving the raised fist solidarity  when celebrating with their team mates. Imagine the millions of people worldwide that watch such popular sport live who would therefore have seen such displays. So therefore, with #EndSARS trending worldwide and the amplification given it by our international footballers, it was impossible for the international media to ignore the story. They caught the bug too, so to speak.  Western countries and others make their judgments of governments through media reports, including social media. Thus given the bad publicity that the trending #EndSARSprotest  with gory tales  of police brutality is giving the Nigerian government worldwide it is not surprising that our government acted rather fast in scrapping the special anti-robbery squad (SARS), promising to reform the police for better.

Although many of the protesters do not believe government, alluding to similar talk of disbanding SARS that went unfulfilled, I think the scrapping is for real this time around because the international media and western governments are watching. If anything I believe there shall be some significant changes, to curb human rights abuses by police personnel to some degree at least, as no government wants to be cast in bad light in the comity of nations. Already  state governments are setting up.  Judicial panels of inquiry to dig into police brutality.

Related News

In the beginnings the protests were held at designated open spaces in Lagos and Abuja. But it soon spread to other towns and states as the days went by and soon, they started extending the protests to other places in same towns, started increasing in numbers, started blocking roads, locking up office gates as happened at the Lagos secretariat, etc. And then counter protests supporting the newly announced SWAT to replace SARS emerged; hoodlums began to attack #EndSARS protesters. It was initially alleged that the hoodlums were sponsored by transport union leaders but the leaders denied this. However, it was said that the intra city commercial bus transporters were angered that they were losing money due to road blockages, traffic snarls from the protests and so decided to confront the protesters by chasing them away.   Chasing them away with cudgels, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons?  They could have dialogued with the protesters to address their concerns about their businesses. Nonetheless, by blocking highways and other roads, the protesters are denying their  fellow human beings their own right to freedom of movement, to go to their places of work and businesses, to eke out a living for themselves. Nobody should be coerced directly or indirectly to join in a protest march. It should be a personal, voluntary decision.

In Edo state,  thugs and cultists practically hijacked the protest, burnt down some police stations, looted the armoury, set prisoners free, forcing the state government to impose a 24-hour curfew.  In Lagos the protesters attacked a truckload of policemen  going to their duty posts that happened to cross their path, invaded the airport, making many people miss their flights. Indeed, Lagos, the nation’s commercial nerve Centre, was under some kind of lockdown brought about by the protesters. On Tuesday,  the state government announced a 24-hour curfew.  Even before expiration of an ultimatum by the ‘indigenous people of Abuja’  for #EndSARS protesters  to vacate the roads lest they clash with them, mayhem broke out in Apo area of Abuja. Two people were confirmed dead by the police when thugs confronted the protesters, burning shops, a car mart and the mechanic village. It continued the next day.  Similarly, violence  flared at an #EndSARS protest in Jos, Plateau state with two persons reportedly killed. These are ugly scenes. As I write this,  reports are coming in  of a protest march that is gathering momentum in the ancient city of Kano.

Ikeano writes from Lafia via

[email protected]

What is more, the #EndSARS protesters have expanded their campaign to not just ending police brutality but also ending “bad governance”. This is outside their remit. The way to end bad governance is not on the streets, carrying placards and shouting slogans but at the polls.  You vote out a bad government  through the ballot box with your voters cards. So, those who want a ‘better government’ should  so arm themselves, mobilize to vote or be voted for in 2023. That is the way to go.

Victoria Ngozi Ikeano writes from Lafia via [email protected] 08033077519