SOCIAL
NIGERIAN LIVES
MATTER TOO
WRITTEN BY
Claudia Ugbana
Why the rest of the world should be speaking up to #EndSars.
T
he Special Anti-Robbery Squad, commonly referred to as SARS, is a federal police unit created within the Nigerian police force which has drastically evolved over time. Originally created
to deal with crimes associated with robbery, motor vehicle theft, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and fire-
37 | VINDICATOR
of October were unlike anything the country had ever witnessed, causing the hashtag #EndSars to trend across all social media platforms, and millions of individuals became acutely aware of growing turmoil happening in Nigeria. On October 4th, a video surfaced on social media platforms, showing officers from the SARS unit dragging two civilians out of a hotel building and
arms, the unit is now being described as a terrorist
gunning them down in the streets. The graphic footage
organization that antagonizes and kills innocent
created an outrage amongst Nigerian citizens living
citizens.
within and outside of the county. All over the world,
The call to end the police force first surfaced in
Nigerian citizens took to the streets and social media
2017, when activists petitioned the government to
to aid all individuals to speak up against the police
abolish the unit as a result of their radical behavior.
brutality occuring in Nigeria.
The Nigerian youth accused the police force of
In response to the outrage of millions of Nigerians
unconstitutional harassment, mirroring the very
all over the world, on October 11th, Nigerian president
gangs they were instructed to protect citizens from.
Muhammadu Buhari announced he would disband
However the protests that occurred during the month
the organization. However many were unconvinced.
