SARS: The Story of Police Brutality and Social Movement in Nigeria

been ardently advocating for the end of SARS since 2015, in response to the abuses of power exhibited by members of SARS for the purpose of extorting money from citizens. SARS is guilty of rampant profiling, specifically targeting men who look young and wealthy. They frequently stop men that they see wearing twists or dreadlocks, driving a nice car, or using an iPhone. Police officers should stop and arrest citizens only when they have evidence of unlawful behaviour. SARS officers do not follow this ethical framework and will instead stop young men fitting this description to search their cars for any evidence that can be used as grounds for arrest. If they find anything suspicious in the vehicle, like alcohol, the young men in question will be immediately arrested. SARS officers will not let innocent citizens go until they successfully extort a sum of money from them, often using excessive brutality against them. If officers can tell that the person they have targeted does not know their citizen rights, they will take advantage of that to brutalize them. Officers will abuse or even kill citizens until they are handed the money that they are demanding.

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There have been mass youth protests in Nigeria throughout the month of October 2020 against the brutality, killings, and greed-driven corruption of the SARS unit. These protests have been entirely peaceful, and protestors have primarily been blocking main roads. The related hashtags #EndSARS and #SARSMustEndNow have been trending on Twitter, garnering attention from around the world. The protestors have 5 demands: 

 

1. Immediate release of all arrested protestors

2. Justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families

3. The creation of an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct within 10 days

4. In line with Nigeria’s new Police Act, psychological evaluation and retraining (to be overseen by an independent body) of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed

5. An increase in police salary so that they are adequately compensated for protecting the lives and property of citizens

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Although on October 11, 2020, President Buhari’s government announced that they would disband SARS, protests have continued for these five demands. The Nigerian government has previously claimed to have disbanded SARS in 2017, 2018, and 2019 in response to similar protests, but the members of SARS continue to brutalize citizens on the streets. The lack of tangible change despite the government’s numerous promises to disband SARS has resulted in protestors’ lack of faith in their government’s capacity to resolve SARS brutality. In the past, the disbanding of SARS has done nothing to address the problems of police brutality, but has rather resulted in SARS officers joining other squads in the police force, or in the superficial renaming of the SARS unit. The issue has been merely disguised instead of solved. The five current demands are specific and reasonable claims to push the government for real reform. 

 

Protestors are demanding that police officers face consequences when they behave corruptly and abuse their power. Currently, SARS officers are free to brutalize youth because they do not face repercussions. The justice system does not punish them because the courts, similar to the SARS unit, are filled with corruption. The youth are protesting and speaking out against the widespread corruption that they observe not only in SARS, but also throughout the government, wider police system, judicial system, and media. It is important to remember that the reasons for this widespread corruption are rooted in colonialism. The country of Nigeria was assembled by the British, who grouped together around 400 different ethnic groups with different languages. The British had no intention of creating a united community within Nigeria, but rather drew up these borders because it gave them a territory that they could exploit for the raw materials abundant in that geographical location. We must recognize the longstanding repercussions of colonialism, and realize that many problems all around the world have come about because of systemic injustice and historic actions. 

 

While the right to protest is protected by Nigerian law, security forces have been present at protests, violently attacking protestors. Police have been firing bullets into crowds of protestors, tear-gassing, and pulling aside individual protestors to beat. At least ten protestors have been killed and dozens more have been arrested and remain in custody. With corruption rampant among those in power in their country, the Nigerian youth are calling on those outside of Nigeria to provide external pressure. The Nigerian government and those in power will listen to organizations like the United Nations, other countries, and individuals with large platforms. Every single person in Nigeria who has chosen to protest or advocate for #EndSARS has done so knowing they have a lot at stake. Those who have the capability to advocate for this issue without facing harmful consequences have the responsibility to do so. 

 

Nigerian news sources have also been called out as spreading propaganda. One Twitter user posted a video from a local news station that garnered attention and resonated with many youth protestors. As an outsider watching the video, there does not immediately appear to be anything wrong. Those in the video seem to have genuine concerns about potentially corrupt non-governmental organizations operating alongside the protestors and encourage the youth to register to vote and create reform through democratic processes. However, Nigerian youth have made clear that this is not an honest representation of the full story. Youth have turned to social media to share a more accurate and fair account of what is going on, in a space where they can share information and news reports through their own voices. 

 

This is a distinctly modern situation where the role of technology and social media has been instrumental in fuelling the protests and demand for positive change and justice. The recent October wave of protests was triggered by the online emergence of graphic footage of abuses by SARS. It is through the power of social media campaigns that protestors are able to organize and inform a larger, global audience about the injustices that they are facing. With the Nigerian government and national media companies looking to stop protests and maintain the status quo, the story would not have been circulated around the world had the youth not taken the initiative to make their voices heard. Nigerian youth have also cited the democratization of the internet and increased access to media as an aid in organizing and fighting for their own rights. Being able to observe progress around the world catalyzed them to demand change for themselves. 

 

This year, we have seen protests against police brutality around the world. This is a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on the problems with police forces and work towards a future of law enforcement free from brutality. We have also seen social media campaigns used as tools to spread important information and rally support for important causes. When we have the information and the ability to demand justice at our fingertips, it is our responsibility to do so; the youth of Nigeria are continuing to fight for justice and will not stop until they see real change. I encourage you to continue to educate yourself about the movement and voice your support for #EndSARS yourself, including by elevating others’ voices. Additionally, continue to use the internet as a resource to learn about events that take place globally. In doing so, make sure to gain a wider understanding of cultures and regions around the world, and to avoid reducing them to only their conflicts or disasters. Nigeria, for example, is an incredible country full of rich culture and with a booming economy. Go forth, educate, and advocate.