The last is yet to be heard of the calls seeking to
disband the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), as youths in
Lagos stayed up late into Thursday night protesting that the unit
be scrapped totally.
In recent times, the activities of the police unit have come
under scrutiny and several members of the squad have been found
guilty of using their position of authority to trample on the
rights of citizens, especially the youths.
End SARS protests were held in various locations across Nigeria
on Wednesday, however, while many thought the noontime
demonstrations would be all for the day, a group of young people
led by Mr Debo Adebayo, a comedian popularly known as Mr Macaroni,
stormed the premises of the Lagos Assembly, asking that the
lawmakers pass legislation that will see to the disbandment of the
SARS unit in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The youths decried the constant harassment encountered in the
hands of SARS operatives, lamenting the rate at which many young
creatives are being battered and killed by the ‘ruthless’ police
officers in the squad.
Mr Macaroni and the other youths spent hours at the gate leading
into the Lagos Assembly complex, seeking to see Governor Babajide
Sanwo-Olu who they were told was as expected not in office at the
time.
Officials and other members of the parliament tried to persuade
the angry youths to leave and return at dawn, but they held their
grounds and insisted that they would not leave till the number one
citizen in Lagos addresses them and assures them that they would
work to ensure and end if brought to the ‘menace’ that SARS has
become in the country.
“If we say we want to see the one that we elected into office,
it is not too much,” Mr Macaroni insisted while addressing an
official of the Lagos legislature.
Mr Macaroni is vibrating!
Omo, no Mr Macaroni slander is allowed!
Not while I am alive!#EndSARSProtest
pic.twitter.com/6kHfLBoy9G— Rinu #EndSARS (@SavvyRinu) October 8, 2020
After a long while of waiting which tapered into the early hours
of Thursday, the Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Hon.
Mudashiru Obasa, finally arrived at the scene to address the
protesting youths.
Mr Obasa told the crowd that members of the parliament will hold
an emergency meeting in the morning of Thursday to deliberate upon
the #ENDSARS concerns. He promised it will not be a deliberation by
only the legislators, as the governor and all other stakeholders
concerned will be at the meeting.
The speaker apologized for the ordeal that the youths have been
through while staging their protest at the gates of the parliament,
and assured them that a lasting solution will be found for the
issues that have been tabled.
Rinu’s take on the intimidation we
experienced this evening. Nigerians are tired, Nigerians are
exhausted.We are tired of oppression !!#ENDSARS #EndSarsProtests
#EndSARSImmediately pic.twitter.com/F6F1rxsCTI— Adedoyin Debbie Wurld Stan (@DoyinSoExtra) October 8, 2020
Day 2 Lagos protest #EndSARSImmediately
#EndSARSBrutalityThe Speaker, Mr Ajayi Obasa finally came out to address the
protesters and PETITION was signed!!!!!
pic.twitter.com/uSUF5C4nLc— anita_vams (@a__vanita) October 8, 2020
All Road lights has been switched, we can’t
even see our faces again.. We don’t know where this is going but
we’ll be here to find out#LagosProtestsAgain #EndSARSImmediately
#EndSarsProtest #EndSARS @segalink pic.twitter.com/1fIZjWwDGS— Salman (@NotJustSalmanPR) October 8, 2020
Heartless killings and a 72-hour protest
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the police force was
put together to tackle robbery and crimes related to armed robbery
within the country, but the unit has for quite a while been
overreaching in its operations across the nation.
Without any legislation or order, the unit has morphed itself
into some form of anti-graft agency, harassing many young
Nigerians, especially men who spot dreadlocks and other forms of
fancy head styles.
What would have been associated with culture and the arts,
seemed to have been labeled a criminal act by SARS officials, one
which operatives of the unit on routine patrols have reportedly
tackled either by extorting various individuals or killing them in
the name of attempting to arrest them for crimes that never get
disclosed nor tried.
More often than not, encounters between men of the SARS unit and
the civilian populace have ended in infringements of rights and a
show of lawlessness on the part of those who swore to uphold the
law and protect the citizens.
Nigeria must change. SARS must go.
#LagosProtests #LagosProtestsAgain #EndSarsProtests
#EndSARSImmediately pic.twitter.com/Cv93IEdwf4— Somto (@SomtoSocial) October 8, 2020
It is in an attempt to bring an end to SARS brutality that many
Nigerians kicked-off a campaign via social media demanding that the
squad be dissolved.
What seemed like a mere Twitter storm soon spilled over into the
streets with countless youths in various parts of the country
protesting and calling for an end to cruelty by SARS officials.
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The latest protest in Lagos began in the early hours of
Wednesday with a large crowd convening at the secretariat in Alausa
within the Ikeja area of the metropolis.
While the protest in Lagos was going on, some other states
states witnessed similar demonstrations, with celebrities, media
personalities and ordinary citizens all lending their voice to the
call for a total eradication of SARS operations.
In the wake of heated arguments and protests on social media,
the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu banned the
personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and
other Tactical Squads of the Force from embarking on routine
patrols.
IGP Mohammed banned the SARS and other Tactical Squads of the
Force including the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence
Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads
operating at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels, from carrying
out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties – stop
and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks and traffic
checks.
He warned members of the tactical squads against the invasion of
the privacy of citizens including the “indiscriminate and
unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart
devices”.
The IGP ordered members of the various units to concentrate and
respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other
violent crimes when the need arises, an order for which the police
boss was praised by different groups and individuals.
However, this stand by the IGP was and is not enough for the
youths in Lagos, for though he vowed to see the SARS reforms
through, the young people believe only a total scrapping of the
unit will suffice in “bringing an end to the dangers posed” by its
agents.
Determined to see to it that SARS becomes a thing of the past,
the vivacious young men and women in Lagos staged the ongoing
protest which some say may last up to 72 hours (three days).
Our sleeping space is being set
up!#EndSARSProtests!Omo, it seems like @mrmacaronii is staying the night o because
pic.twitter.com/oyXVaIeGxP— Rinu #EndSARS (@SavvyRinu) October 8, 2020
Protest Continues Tomorrow. All we ask for
is a Retweet!#EndSarsProtests #EndSARS— Savvy Rinu #ENDSARS (@savvy_riinu) October 8, 2020
No Tents! No Chairs yet! But Dear Nation, we
will sleep on the ground! We are not here to joke!#EndSarsProtests
pic.twitter.com/7RLxwyyBZe— Rinu #EndSARS (@SavvyRinu) October 9, 2020
No Tents! No Chairs yet! But Dear Nation, we
will sleep on the ground! We are not here to joke!#EndSarsProtests
pic.twitter.com/CNpzhDuGZY— _ (@RaphnationMix) October 9, 2020
4:44am.
The people are calm as life comes back into the streets of
lagos.It’s a new day. #EndSarsNow #EndSARSprotests #LagosProtests
#EndSARSImmediately pic.twitter.com/BDaW3PIc0n— Somto (@SomtoSocial) October 9, 2020
I can’t pretend am not seeing these pictures
3:00am October 9. My heart bleed for Nigeria. Our govt leaders are
proving to be insensitive and heartless. They’ve shown they care
more about looting and politics#EndSarsProtests #EndSARSImmediately
#EndSARS #EndSARSBrutality pic.twitter.com/BGE8UzMirj— Wale Adebayo (@ThisWaleAdebayo) October 9, 2020
seriously this is not a night to go to bed
knowing fully well some of us are out there risking there lives for
us. no food, no shelter and no security. #EndSARSProtest
#EndSarsProtests #EndSARSImmediately cardi Mr Macaroni kemi Useless
Channels TV Rinu pic.twitter.com/k3ZsB5cKUv— Endowed Queen (@ASSnal121) October 9, 2020
Tweeting this at the hour 1:55am 9th of
October 2020Helpless youth just taking meal at this hour of the day
We the youth are set out to make our intentions known and our
voices must be heard#EndSarsProtests #LagosProtestsAgain
@jidesanwoolu @SavvyRinu @mrmacaronii
pic.twitter.com/09dZWsN5Nf— Iyalode Of Lagos (@ChristianahAba1) October 9, 2020
Still up and watching over the security
guards assigned to keep us safe. #EndSarsProtests #EndSARS
#LagosProtestsAgain pic.twitter.com/YyFYo1uCZM— TESLIM I (@badmanteas) October 9, 2020
Proud of everyone out there tonight at the
#EndSarsProtests demanding better policing and saying
#EndSARSImmediately. If you come together to demand a better
country, nothing can stop you. SARS don’t ask if you are APC or PDP
before brutalising you. Keep your focus on Nigeria.— Dr. Joe Abah (@DrJoeAbah) October 9, 2020
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/10/09/endsarsimmediately-lagos-youths-protest-late-into-the-night/