TW: violence, sexual violence
#EndSARS has gone viral on social media, but this fight extends beyond the digital world. Nigerians have been protesting against police brutality, and specifically SARS (the Special Anti-Robbery Squad).
SARS has taken the lead on Nigeria’s major crimes for over 25 years, but they are known for abuse and a lack of consequences. In 2018, the government committed to overhauling the unit, then in January 2019, the police announced they were to further reform SARS, but there has been little change. A report from Amnesty International states, "those in SARS custody have been subjected to a variety of methods of torture”, ranging from sexual violence to mock execution. Amnesty documented 81 cases of police brutality in Nigeria (2017-2020). These are just the documented cases, and very few are investigated or lead to consequences.
Peaceful protests restarted a few weeks ago, but police are using excessive violence. A minimum of 12 people were killed by the military, who opened fire on hundreds of protesters in Lagos on the 20th of October. Witnesses say street lights were turned off, meaning it is difficult to make sense of the videos that emerged. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos, said at least 25 people had been wounded and that there are “no excuses for the unfortunate incident.”
As a result of the protests, the office of the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, released a statement claiming that SARS will be dissolved immediately. But Nigeria’s Amnesty International director, Osai Ojigho, said this “falls short of demands for accountability and justice for abuses committed by the unit and police in general.” The dissolving of SARS does not mean an end to police brutality. The victims of SARS need justice. Police brutality in Nigeria remains a pressing issue, disproportionately impacting young people and marginalised communities.
Written by Anoushka Joshi
Artwork by Sophia Patterson
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