#EndSARS: How Youth-Led Protesters in Nigeria are Creating a Global Movement Against Police Brutality

Date Published: October 21, 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is SARS?
• What's the Scale of These Protests?
• What's the Response Been?
• What About the Protest Shooting?
• What Can I Do?

What is SARS?

SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) is a Nigerian governmental police unit known for operating in plainclothes and brutalizing young people under the guise of cracking down on violent crime. Amnesty International has documented at least 82 cases of “torture, ill treatment and extra-judicial execution by SARS” in the past three years -- and these are just the documented cases, as countless others go unreported each year. This pattern of abuse has gone largely unchecked by the Nigerian government, and it’s part of a long history of police corruption in the country.

What’s the Scale of These Protests?

Youth-led protests have been gathering in cities across Nigeria since Oct. 8, calling for an end to SARS and for the government to address police brutality as a whole. The protests began after a video of a SARS officer shooting an unarmed young man went viral. Protesters have since shown up in strong enough numbers to block major roadways and international airport access.

Part of the success of the protests comes from the organizers’ use of social media and other digital tools to drive attendance, raise funds, and garner international support. Their efforts led Twitter to launch a unique emoji in support of the movement, which helped the #EndSARS hashtag to trend globally and be broadcast by celebrities like John Boyega, Kanye West, and Trey Songz.

What’s the Response Been?

In response to the protests, the Nigerian government announced it would disband SARS, as well as their intention to replace it with a new police unit called SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics). SARS officers will undergo medical and psychological evaluation before being redeployed in the new unit.

Many advocates and protesters feel that these actions don’t go far enough in addressing the systemic issues that perpetuate police brutality and corruption in Nigeria. For years, the government has promised to reform SARS by disbanding, investigating, and redeploying it several times in the past decade -- yet officers have still not been held to account and mistreatment has persisted. Many Nigerians fear that, without larger action and change, SWAT will follow in the same legacy of abuse. Calls to #EndSWAT are already gaining traction, as Nigerians continue to make their voices heard in their fight for just policing.

What About the Protest Shooting?

Amnesty International said they have “credible but disturbing evidence” that law enforcement used excessive force on demonstrations in Lagos, Nigeria, resulting in the death of protesters. Accounts of the event report that officers opened fire on the peaceful crowd at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.

The governor of Lagos confirmed that a shooting did occur and that 30 people were injured, but he did not confirm any fatalities. Lagos is now under a curfew, as officials try to dampen the epicenter of the #EndSARS protests.

What Can I Do?

• Share information. Here’s an Instagram post and a Twitter post with info on what’s happening that you can share with friends and family to keep them informed. You can also find updates online through the #EndSARS and #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria hashtags (content warning: potentially graphic/violent images and videos).
• Amplify voices online. Amplify info from folks on the ground like the Nigerian Feminist Coalition, journalist Yemisi Adegoke, SARS Watch, and Amnesty International Nigeria. (And lend your own voice online using the #EndSARS hashtag.)
• Donate to the movement. You can find the latest directory of initiatives to donate to (and other crucial resources) through the #EndSARS resource hub.
• Demand accountability. Add your name to this petition calling for President Mohammadu Buhari to be charged before the International Criminal Court for his role in state-sponsored human rights abuses. Then sign this one, demanding an end to impunity for police violence in Nigeria.