EEW Magazine Online // Global News // Police Brutality

SARS stands for “Special Anti-Robbery Squad.” It was formed in late 1992 by former police commissioner Simeon Danladi Midenda to crack down on rising cases of armed robbery and other crimes. But SARS itself has been accused by citizens of making unlawful arrests and employing other abusive practices.

You may have seen the #EndSARS hashtag being posted online. #EndSARS is a campaign calling for an end to the allegedly corrupt and abusive Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The hashtag is tied to an active social movement against police brutality in Nigeria which began in 2017.

#EndSARS has gained new traction in 2020 because Nigeria has been rocked by demonstrations, as many young people are protesting alleged police brutality. The demonstrations began in response to a video circulated online showing a man being beaten, apparently by members of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Nigerian authorities denied the reports, but protests erupted across the country with demands to #EndSARS.

SARS officers are said to be notoriously corrupt with many sharing their own experiences of assault and violence. An Amnesty International Report cites at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extra-judicial execution between January 2017 and May 2020. There have been promises of reform from the government, but Amnesty says SARS officers are allowed to act with impunity.

On Tuesday evening, Oct. 20, numerous reports and videos surfaced on social media showing what appeared to be members of the Nigerian army opening fire on unarmed, peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos. They had reportedly turned off all street lights and cut phone networks. While casualty numbers have not been confirmed, Amnesty International said there is “credible but disturbing” evidence that protesters had indeed been fatally shot. Witnesses told the BBC that uniformed men opened fire, and soldiers barricaded the protest site before the shooting.

In response to the widespread demonstrations, the Nigerian government announced that it would disband the SARS unit. But activists and protesters say this is not enough and are demanding an end to all police brutality and corruption.

Protestors have five core demands:

1. The immediate release of arrested protestors

2. Justice for deceased victims of police brutality and compensation for their families

3. An independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of police misconduct reports

4. Evaluation and retraining of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed

5. And finally, an increase in police salary

There has been a global outpouring of support for #EndSARS, as pastors, politicians, entertainers, organizations, and big-name influencers stand in solidarity with Nigeria.

If you would like to help, stay educated on the issues, use the #EndSARS hashtag on social media to bring awareness, and donate to organizations like Connected Development that help marginalized groups in Africa and have called for accountability for SARS officers.