The smokescreen in #EndSARS protest

The #EndSARS protest by youths which spontaneously started in Lagos and later spread to many parts of the country survived to become not only the longest public protest in Nigeria’s history but also one that lasted to destroy its initially earned public sympathy.

Beginning in a very peaceful manner, the protest continued to attract the attention of miscreants until it was apparently hijacked by hoodlums who violently turned it into something else at a time when the #EndSARS should have expectedly ended.

From the onset of the latest protest, no one faulted the youth for rising up against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)’ long-standing excesses. The fact that the result of an earlier protest did not go beyond name change accounted for the overwhelming support received by the protesting youths. Nigerians in different parts of the country cried out almost on a daily basis against one form of police brutality or the other. The protest thus continued to gather momentum, and within a few days, nearly everyone wanted to be seen to belong. Some governors, politicians and celebrities were individually declaring their support for the protesting youth either through press statements or their Twitter accounts.

SARS was created by the Nigeria Police Force to tackle the heinous crime of robbery which at a time in Nigeria became notoriously intractable. However, with the passage of time, operatives of the squad, for some unethical and amateurish reasons including poor training and lowly welfare, also became more notorious than the armed robbers they were deployed to confront. The long time sins of SARS operatives in the eyes of many Nigerians may include brutality, torture, extortion and killing of suspects some of whom were later to be proved innocent after investigations. Public outcry once compelled government to ‘reform’ SARS; changing its name to Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS); a kind of flippant response described by Nigerians as “old wine in a new bottle”.

Swiftly responding to the #EndSARS protest that spread across Nigeria like wildfire, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Adamu Mohammed announced the disbandment of the FSARS and replaced it with a new unit called Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. This action was immediately followed by President Muhammad Buharis’s assurances that the scrapping of FSARS was the first step in the comprehensive reform of the Nigeria Police; one of the other outstanding demands of #EndSARS protesters. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also apologized to Nigerians on behalf of the federal government for the terrible experiences citizens suffered over the years under SARS and FSARS.

However, the #EndSARS protesters insisted not to call off the protest until other unanswered demands have been met. Such demands include the prosecution of culpable personnel of the erstwhile FSARS and redress for victims of the excesses of FSARS personnel. Soon, many states in the country proactively set up commissions of inquiry on police brutality in addition to setting up victims’ support fund. The IGP further reassured that no member of the scrapped FSARS will be part of SAWT; adding that personnel of the banned FSARS will undergo psychiatric and other tests before they are deployed to other units of the police force. Yet, all these prompt measures failed to appease the #EndSARS protesters who vowed to continue with their street protests.

Before President Muhammadu Buhari addressed Nigerians in a nationwide radio and television broadcast at 7pm on Thursday, October 22, 2020, some patriotic Nigerians had pleaded with the #EndSARS protesters to calm down and give government more time to address outstanding demands. Others also urged government to engage the protesters in a roundtable discussion. But the crucial challenge in engaging the #EndSARS protesters is that they are not a group with organized leadership or common objective. Many of those who participated in the #EndSARS protest were there for various grievances. No one also claimed to be the leader of the protest at any level. This was the difficulty in organizing any roundtable discussion with the #EndSARS protesters.

The refusal to heed the early call by some elder statesmen to end their demonstrations when it was time to do so actually led the lawful protesters to lose control of the situation and the protest thus slipped into the dirty hands of rioters. Soon, the protest took violent dimensions that have hugely become regrettable to every peace-loving citizen; protesters and non-protesters alike. Bonfires were set by protesters along highways and streets in major cities and towns across the country. The airport road in Abuja was blocked; forcing many workers back home and many travelers to either abandon their trips or access the airport by riding on commercial motorcycle popularly called okada in Nigeria.

When the protest extremely went violent in Lagos particularly on Wednesday, October 21, about four police stations and a number of banks were set ablaze in Lagos alone. Buildings of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), the Nation newspaper and TVC station were all set on fire by the #EndSARS protesters in Lagos.   Governors of Ondo and Ekiti states were attacked and prisoners were set free from the Benin correctional centre in Edo state, Fleet of cars were set on fire in Abuja. As at Thursday, October 21st 2020, many governors including those of Edo, Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kwara, Anambra have imposed full or partial curfew in their respective states. Some economists have put the total loss of properties in Lagos at N770 billion. This is huge in itself, in spite of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic that already gave the country’s revenue earnings a big blow.

One continued to wonder how the destruction of public and private properties amounted to a solution to the problem or a means to meeting further demands of the #EndSARS protesters. The violence engaged in by the protesters suggests that the #EndSARS is just a smokescreen. Underneath the smokescreen is the apparent frustration of young Nigerians who should be in school but have remained at home for several months. It also reveals the anger of young people who should actively be part of Nigeria’s productive sector but have been alienated from the skilled labour market.

The excessive propensity of the #EndSARS protesters particularly in Lagos and other parts of the country depicts how the Nigerian society has lost its home-grown values. The impunity that characterize corrupt practices among Nigerian elites has made many to lose moral authority over the country’s youth population which is why they refused to terminate the protest when some leaders pleaded with them to do so. Similarly, the failure by successive administrations in the country to tackle existential issues and bridge the very wide gap of inequalities provided a fertile ground for destructive forces to assert themselves.

Another disturbing angle to the #EndSARS protest include how quickly over N60 million was raised in support of the protesters. The Lekki toll gate also calls for a probe into the whole #EndSARS protest. We give gratitude to Allah (SWT) for taking control of the situation and for forestalling it from further degeneration. May Allah (SWT) protect Nigeria against all forces, natural and artificial, that seek to destabilize the country, amin.