Saturday, October 3, 2020, was a wake-up day for Nigerians, as members of the public took to social media to demand an end to the country’s age-long police brutality. With #EndSARS, the agitation started when footage, showing operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a now-defunct unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), shot a man at close range, after which they drove away in his car, surfaced on the internet.
Following the incident that attracted wild reactions from people across the world, the demand for an end to SARS immediately dominated social media, and has since been a trending topic all over the world, as many Nigerians, including celebrities, used #EndSARS to list allegations of extra-judicial killings, wanton arrests, and dispossession of properties through physical assault and other intimidation tactics against the notorious police department.
Joining the protest, while some celebrities have been aggressively adding their voices to the end of police brutality, others have taken their fans with them for a march against oppression experienced in the hands of the Nigerian Police.
Social media for social justice
With a series of videos, showing policemen terrorising members of the public, Nigerian celebrities that have millions of impressionable followers on social media, went on their pages to call on international bodies and authorities to come to Nigerians’ aid.
While some of the celebrities used their platforms to reach out to their colleagues outside the shores of the Nigerian entertainment industry, others used their influence on social media to raise alarm on the issue, as they charge members of the public to join the #EndSARS protest and not be timid.
Speaking on the relevance of social media in the ongoing nationwide protest, popular singer cum politician, Olubankole Wellington aka Banky W said the message became clearer with the help of social media. In an interview with Arise TV, Banky W expressed satisfaction that “social media have been an incredibly powerful tool and if anybody can remember. You will remember that a few months ago, the government actually tried to pass a social media bill and with this protest, I think the people propagating that bill were afraid of what they are seeing now. In times past, the country has always been controlled by people that have money but now with the power of social media, we now have a message and interestingly, everybody is getting it and that message gives us the power to unite, push to fight and stand for what we want, for the policies we want, and for the ideas we want. We have done different kinds of protests over the last 12 years but now with social media, it’s united. Everybody understands we are all on the same side, fighting for the same thing, pushing for the same thing and social media has made this possible.”
On his part, rapper Jude Abaga aka M.I revealed that the ongoing protest would have been silent should the government’s move to pass a social media bill at a time be successful. Also speaking with Arise TV, the music star said: “Earlier in the year, a few of us came together, I’m talking of Banky, Falz, Kate Henshaw, amongst others from the entertainment industry. We all came out to shut down the social media bill that was about to be passed. I’m sure if that bill had been signed into law at that time, the international communities might not know how bad the police brutality in Nigeria has become. People calling for the passage of the bill were ministers, representatives, and senators. But guess what? If we hadn’t been vigilant then, it would have been a very different conversation. Because they would have shut down social media earlier.”
Singer Shasha Damilola Alesh popularly known as Dice Ailes, explained that social media have been helpful in the aspect of a proper coordination of the #EndSARS protest, and curbing of fake news. “Social media has made it possible for us to mobilise and ensure that what we are only gathering for is not to unleash mayhem, but to pass across a message to the people we elected into public offices. Aside from this, with the help of social media, we have also been able to fact-check information, thereby advising each other on accurate information,” a source close to the music star quoted him as saying in a chat with eelive.ng.
‘#EndSARS Protest remains a continuum’
After days of protest against police operations in the country, Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), dissolved SARS. Even though the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had dissolved the notorious police department as a result of the aggressive demand from Nigerians on social media, protesters have refused to back down, as numbers of those expressing discontent with the government’s measures, keep growing on the streets.
Explaining why the protesters are not backing down, popular singer, Ayodeji Balogun otherwise known as Wizkid, said Nigeria’s problems are enormous, adding that other problems like erratic power supply, poverty, and insecurity are challenges Nigerians are tired of. “It’s just disheartening that in 2020 we are still having this conversation. What we want is protection from the police. We want the police to protect the people. We have more pressing issues affecting Nigeria, there’s no 24 hours electricity as I speak to you, people use generators, people cannot afford generations. They got to sleep in darkness. There’s no 24 hours of electricity, there are bad roads and the government is quiet. It just hurts!” he told American media executive, Kojo Ebro, during a recently-held interview.
Similar to Wizkid’s point of view, singer cum politician, Banky W, noted that the ongoing nationwide protest against police brutality “is the straw that broke the camel’s back.” According to him, there have been a lot of things that have got people agitated, angry, and frustrated, which he said makes the #EndSARS protest deeper than what people may be thinking. Speaking with Arise TV, he said: “If you pay attention to the conversation online, some of those things have started to enter. People have started to say how much are we paying in pension to past governors and past presidents? The country is broke but we are still spending this amount to maintain past leaders who clearly didn’t do that good of a job. How much are our lawmakers collecting as salaries, and allowances. Though, people have been quiet for a long time; they are now asking all these questions because they are not stupid. Now, they are leveraging #EndSARS to start a conversation, and they are not going to stop because that energy is going to be sustained.”
For singer Dice Ailes, it is no surprise that the #EndSARS protesters have refused to back down in spite of the disbandment of SARS. The music star who dedicated his new song, No One, to the agitation against police brutality, said Nigerians have tolerated bad governance enough and leveraging on the #EndSARS protest to convey their displeasure on the many challenges of the country. “Bad governance has birthed insecurity, poverty, amongst other things threatening the survival of an average Nigerian. The people have lost trust in the country’s leadership; just imagine the fact that SARS has overtime been disbanded, will a reasonable person take them for their words this time? Of course not!” a source close to Dice Ailes quoted him as saying.
Way Forward
As the #EndSARS protests continue in spite of the dissolvement of SARS, the Federal Government and state authorities have since been appealing to members of the public to stop protesting and return home. But with the #EndSARS activities and increasing number of protesters, it is pretty much obvious that Nigerians would not stop the protest until their plights are well-addressed.
When asked how can the government stop the protest, MI said only action to the problems that drove people to the streets for protest, can make them return home. His words: “The thing I want to say is action! I think that part of the slow realisation the government is to understand that what people want to see is action. Yes! you came and gave a press conference, but nothing has happened and that’s why we are still out here. Until we start to see police officers that have killed people being paraded, charged, and investigated.”
Complimenting M.I’s solution to the agitation, Banky W said: “All they want are actions and I think the people have made those demands clear, they want to see justice and compensation for victims, they want to see action police reforms, and they want the Human Right Commission Panel to be set up. They just want the reforms to get started. They even advocated for police to be paid better. They want justice and this is very important, you cannot say that reforms have started and police are still beating and assaulting and shooting at protesters, where are Jimoh Isiaka killers? Where are Kolade Johnson’s killers? The demands of these young people are not unreasonable. They just want a fair Nigerian, a just Nigeria; they just want compensation for victims. They just want justice. Bring out those police officers that committed murder. It’s so sad that while we are here protesting against police brutality, police were still out brutalizing protesters and they were capturing peaceful protesters and arresting them, trying to pin the murder on them.”
For legendary singer Innocent Idibia otherwise known as 2baba, Nigerians need to keep the pressure alive for good governance and the leadership of the country must take responsibility by meeting the demands of the people. “It’s about that time!! These are the real patriotic NIGERIANS. Know your constituencies and ask those representatives to start to speak up aka soro sòkè. Now is the time to show working. No time for politics here. These demands are not rocket science matters. Una fit do am sharp sharp,” he wrote in a post on his Instagram page.
