What’s happening in Nigeria? Why are people being shot dead?

Lagos, 2020. People throughout the country of Nigeria are seen protesting against the national police. The remonstrance has worsened and people have come onto the streets, fighting against the brutalities. After the outraging riots on Tuesday, the eye witnesses have confirmed to have seen the city become a chaos.

The police opened fire at people protesting peacefully in the nation’s largest city at the Lekki Toll Plaza followed by “multiple deaths” on Wednesday.

Amnesty International said to have seen protestors being unavailingly shot by the Nigerian police and army. Amnesty International is the organization that enunciates the voice of the masses against the wrong doings of the governments. The protestors were demonstrating calmly against the barbarity of the said police force.

The protests are known to have started 2 weeks ago after a video was released where the SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) was seen to have harmed a young man fatally.

What is SARS?

SARS is the group that was created in 1992 under the Nigerian Police Force. It was aimed at arresting people who committed crimes relating to armed robbery, car snatching, kidnapping or firearms.

The police performed sting operations, and caught the criminals by going undercover.

However, SARS has been accused of carrying out illegal brutal tortures against the criminals, which violates their basic human rights. The group is said to have committed sexual harassment with women, fatal tortures with young Nigerians, illegal arrests and extra judicial killings.

Amnesty International has accused this force of killing at least 12 people during the ongoing protests to which, the army denies.

The #EndSARS movement

The movement started when the video of the man being hit brutally by the SARS went viral to which the people in Nigeria raged and came together to ask for an end of the police force.

The young man was shot in front of the Wetland Hotel, Ughelli, Delta State and his car was abducted by the alleged police officers.

The said videos started an outcry of the Nigerians on social media, especially Twitter and started trending with #EndSARS.

Right after this on 5th October, SARS was seen to have shot a 20 year old upcoming musician, 4 times in the head who was sitting in front of a hotel with his friend (who was later arrested).

The protests were started initially by young Nigerians which have now taken over the internet and everyone is calling out the SARS for its outrageous and notorious behavior and asking for it to shut down.

Prior to this demonstration, in 2017, more than 10,000 people signed a petition for the complete disbandment of the force and presented it at the Nigeria’s National Assembly. This was caused by the police detaining young Nigerians and then asking their relatives for money. To which, the decision was partially acted upon and the task force was “reformed” rather than going down in full.

It has been two weeks and the protests are nowhere near stopping. The country’s army and police are lying to the media on the number of killings committed by them during these riots.

On 11th October the government promised to take charge of this and try to carry out the doable measures that intend to be in favor of the local public but the young Nigerians are skeptical of the government’s intentions and won’t budge until it is resolved completely. This is the 4th time the SARS has been asked to shut down.

#WorldNews