ME OUT LOUD
Policing For Pleasure: Why We Need To #EndSARS
Everything you need to know about the #EndSARS movement and how you can help
Imagine this...
A country where looking ‘flashy’ with bejeweled accessories or classy haircuts can trigger an unwarranted arrest.
Where having Apple (or any of technology’s latest) products make you a yahoo boy (.i.e. an internet fraudster) or having cryptocurrency apps on your phone labels you a criminal.
A place where you have to suppress your (financial) goals and aspirations for fear of being beaten or killed.
A society where you’re more scared of the police than the thief. A land where the police IS the thief.
Stop imagining!
This land is real. This land is modern-day Nigeria; the ‘giant of Africa’, and until a change is made it will eventually become our graveyard.
If you’re Twitter-savvy, you’ve probably come across the hashtag #EndSARS at least once during the past days.
And just in case you need light shed on the movement (or happen to use Medium more than Twitter), here’s your enlightenment:
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is an arm of Nigeria’s law enforcement. SARS was founded in the year 1992 to help combat violent cases like armed robbery and kidnapping.
However, over the past few years, the arm has soon metastasized into an oppressive force known for abusing fundamental human rights especially those of youths.
SARS officials are often found clustered along with checkpoints of travel routes and along many public (and sometimes private) areas. Stopping vehicles, collecting bribes, and detaining (or physically abusing) ‘criminals’.
In case you’re wondering my reason for the air quotes, here are a few pointers that can label you a criminal:
SARS Criminal Checklist (NB: DOES NOT NEED TO FULFILL ALL REQUIREMENTS):
✅Having Dreadlocks/Dyed/Long/Shaved/facial hair
✅ Wearing jewelry (not always necessary)
✅ Carrying a laptop (or laptop bag)
✅ Owning products from Apple/Samsung/Infinix (anything that isn’t a cheap device)
✅ Having money or 'moneymaking' apps (yes, they do check through your mobile devices)
✅ Being vocal about your rights (you’ll be lucky if all you get is a slap across the face)
As you can see, these are features that pretty much the average person possesses.
It might sound ludicrous but hundreds (if not thousands) of lives have been laid to waste for having checked any of these requirements or for simply being in the same area as people who did.
Lives like Jimoh Isiaq that got wasted by gunfire during a peaceful protest (contrary to the TVC news update, he wasn’t caught in a crossfire!).
Or the heart-wrenching murder of Ayomide Taiwo who refused to give a N50 (approximately $0.13) bribe.
And let’s not forget Ifeoma Abuga, the young corper, who was unlawfully arrested, sexually assaulted, and murdered while detained.
These are a few of many stories from SARS encounters. The sad thing is this has somehow been accepted as normal. Directly or indirectly, every Nigerian has at some point had some experience with these bandits. The lucky ones make it alive.
Perhaps you have an inkling thought of reforming SARS as opposed to complete termination of the arm.
Well, here’s me addressing the thoughts you might have in mind:
1) The SARS arm is serving a purpose:
Maybe it was in its earlier years (those years must have been very early) but now, let’s not kid ourselves. There was a story of how someone who got robbed made the mistake of alerting the officials after the crime. All they did was come ‘collect’ other valuables in the victim’s home.
2) How would we manage the unemployed officials:
The issue of unemployment has been on the top of Nigeria’s problems for as long as I can remember.
And right now, the only ‘jobs’ these men are currently doing is the everyday dismissal of human rights. What’s worse is they are authorized by the law to do so.
So, plug them out of the system, rehabilitate them (that killer mindset must be crippled), and let them own up to their crimes (justice must be served for victims of their brutality). Then and only then can (and should) they be integrated (after a heavy review).
Because if we consider the issue of employment as more pressing than the preservation of human life then we have just two options: hope we (or anyone dear to us) never cross paths with SARS, or pray we make it out alive if we do.
3) We can’t let the millions invested go to waste:
This was actually stated on the News by the police spokesperson, Frank Mba.
In short, it somehow makes more sense to keep a toxic unit active because of the government’s huge investment than it does to preserve human lives.
Awesome priorities Federal Government, just awesome.
4) Supporting #EndSARS is analogous to supporting Yahoo boys (i.e. cybercriminals):
I’d say this mentality is the main reason many religious (and some 'reputable’) organizations/persons are keeping silent about the issue. Many older adults have this lingering thought as well, believing that youths who earn a sizeable income are up to something shady.
Many adults don’t understand how remote/virtual jobs work and instantly ascribe it to cybercrime which they believe we’re fighting for. Let’s not get it twisted.
Internet fraud is a crime. And we are not in support of it! Freedom of cybercrime is not what we’re fighting for!
We’re fighting for our rights as humans! We’re fighting for freedom from oppression We’re fighting for our lives (literally) and the lives of those coming after us!
The #EndSARS movement has been coming on and off in this country for the past three years. And in those years little to nothing has been done by the government to address the issue.
This laxity on the part of leaders further helps strengthen these men’s feelings of invincibility—the feeling that they’re untouchable by the law—and this only grows with each loss we make.
Writing is one of my strong points and I hope this piece has somehow opened someone’s eyes to how vital the #EndSARS movement is for Nigeria.
The hashtag has been trending on Twitter for the past three days and we don’t intend to back down till we are heard.
We’ve been pushed to the wall for far too long and can’t afford to lose this. It’s far too great a loss.
If you’d like to show your support, here’s how you can help DO SOMETHING to #EndSARS:
- Sign the petition to #EndSARS
- Help donate to flutterwave and/or feminist coalition to support protesters on the battlefield.
- If you’re Nigerian (or happen to be someone with a significant position in whatever space you occupy), send a message to any of the country’s state senators. And most importantly…
- Keep pushing! It doesn’t matter if you have less than a thousand followers. No matter who you are, you have YOUR circle of influence, channel awareness their way, no matter what your outlet is. Use your space to help #EndSARS. (*UPDATE: It appears they wish to suppress our impact. The new tag is #SARSMustEnd)
I’m writing this with channeled anger and sadness.
Honestly, I’m not entirely sure if this writeup was devoid of grammatical errors but as long as the message was passed, I couldn’t care less.
Men and women are being violated for simply encountering these men in a bad mood. Countless lives are being laid to waste for looking ‘criminal’.
Lend your voice to help end police brutality. If you don’t care today, it might be you tomorrow.
Join the movement to help Nigerians #EndSARS.
