Oh, Nigeria!

 

I haven't had the right words to express what happened on the 20/10/20, a day Nigerians will not

forget anytime soon. That was the day that some of the protesters who were courageous enough to leave their homes to express how they feel about the country were killed, for nothing! oh, Nigeria! It was truly a dark day. 

I’ve got some of my non-Nigerian friends asking about the protest. For this reason, I’ll share an insight into the issue.

• The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was a branch of the Nigeria Police Force under the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) founded in 2002.
• The squad’s aim was to have faceless police perform undercover operations against criminal activities.
• They misused their power for personal gains.
• Between 2016 and 2019 SARS was responsible for cruelty, degrading treatment of Nigerians and human abuse such as shooting of their detainees in the leg, mock or threats of execution, hanging and several killings.
• Its been alleged that SARS officers target the youths of the country based on appearance and some possessions such as laptops and iPhones.
• The citizens lived in constant fear of being attacked by SARS
• For the first time, we have been united for a long period to fight for our rights
• Dr. Olufunmilayo Ogunsanya, a UK-based Nigerian doctor started an online petition to the UK, USA and Canadian governments to ban visas of all Nigerian government officials and police heads. 
• His reasons for starting this petition stems from the silence of the Nigerian government on the illegal and unlawful activities exercised by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on the citizens.
• The campaign which initially started on social media became organized, peaceful protests in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Osun, Benin, Delta, Ilorin, Ogbomosho, Owerri, and other Nigerian cities and states. The protesters promised to continue if the government refused to disband the force.
• This campaign has witnessed reactions on social media from international celebrities such as Cardi B, Trey Songz, Big Sean, Jidenna, John Boyega, Kanye West, Drake, Diddy among others including footballers, Marcus Rashford and Mesut Ozil.

All we want is a country to be proud of, a country that cares deeply for its citizens, and a country to live in peacefully. Is it too much to ask for?

Our lives matter!