Lessons from the EndSARS protests


As the dust begins to settle and as peace returns to many cities that have witnessed wanton looting, arson, and lawlessness in the aftermath of the EndSARS protests, there are a lot of lessons to be learned on why a peaceful protest movement against police brutality ended up in deaths and destruction.


To start with, ever since the protests began in early October, I didn’t support the EndSARS call of scrapping the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the police force, which has long been accused of harassment, unlawful arrests, extortion, torture and even extrajudicial killings. I instead called for an end to police brutality and the impunity culture that makes it possible for security forces to harass citizens.


My arguments at the time included the ill-timing of scrapping a unit that fights violent crimes at a time of rising insecurity across the nation. I also pointed to the fact that without a comprehensive overhaul of the entire police force, scrapping SARS will not solve the problems of policing in Nigeria. Others even suggested the idea of reforming the unit and redeploying its members to other areas (like the North) where the population appreciates their efforts due to their effectiveness in fighting crime.


But a lot of the youth, at the time angry and intolerant to opposing views, refused to reason with our humble opinions. We were called names, told to shut up, and at times subjected to insults. For them, EndSARS was about the total scrapping of SARS.
Even though I was skeptical that the former general in Abuja will accept their demands fast, he did and ordered the Inspector General of Police to scrap the almost three-decades old unit. Then here comes the turn.
The EndSARS protestors became emboldened and began coming up with more demands, the noticeable one being the five-point demand.


The government still trying to appease the demonstrators on the streets caved in and accepted those demands. With this, any sensible person will have backed down and continued the struggle at the negotiating table. But no, celebrities and so-called social media influencers fearing the cancel culture and enjoying the likes and retweets on social media continued inciting the youths, telling them not to leave the streets. Those in the diaspora kept sending funds used to sustain the carnival-like street protests that now involved blocking of major highways and facilities, thereby hurting other people’s lives and livelihoods.


At this stage, I sensed danger with the incoherent demands of the EndSARS protestors and increasing calls by those affected by the protests on the government to take decisive action. Instead of tackling the issues head-on, some in the government decided to employ counter-protestors and hired thugs with the hope of disrupting the protests. Governors in the South-west playing political correctness continue to watch as things escalate. 


The young protestors continued blockading major roads in several cities in the name of protests. Then came the clashes between aggrieved traders and protestors and the mysterious prison breaks. Everybody decided to exploit the protests which have now being infiltrated by hoodlums and many actors with different agendas.
Everything is now history. The government found the justification to crackdown on the protests while celebrities in the safety of their homes incited some youths to early deaths. The media, some Nigerians in the diaspora, and those trying to settle a score with the present government saw this as an opportunity to drag and discredit Nigeria around the world. The police trying to teach people a lesson fall back and watched as anarchy sets in – with hoodlums going on a looting and plundering spree of public and private property in many states, especially in the south. 


Now that things have calmed down, I hope both the government and protestors have learned some lessons. For the government, they should know they can no longer ignore the cries of the masses for too long – because we’ve already seen what a hungry and angry population could do. The youth should know there needs to be a form of organisation and leadership for any movement to succeed. This leadership must be a responsible one that could pause and make a compromise and go back to the drawing board if the needs be.
Labaran Yusuf, Jos, Plateau state.

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