20 /10 /2020: The beginning of the end of a peaceful Nigeria

October 20, 2020

Today 20th of october 2020 marks a sad day in the history of Nigeria, the red color on the flag instead of white is an illustration of how a once peaceful Nigeria has erupted into crisis and an impending danger.

Nationwide protests began on October 8, 2020, calling on the authorities to abolish an abusive police unit called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS). In response, the police have shot tear gas, water cannons and live rounds at protesters, killing people and leaving lots of others wounded. Armed thugs have also disrupted protests and attacked protesters.

The protests were sparked by a video that surfaced online on October 3, 2020 allegedly showing a SARS official shooting a young man in Delta state. This generated an outcry on social media, Twitter especially, where the hashtag #ENDSARS began trending globally , and led to protests across Nigeria and other cities around the world.

Responding to the protesters, the Government announced the dismissal of SARS on October 11, 2020 but also stated that the former SARS officials would be reintegrated into a new unit called SWAT(Special weaponry and tactical team). The government never took any step in getting justice for those that have been hurt by SARS in the past neither did they investigate and prosecute those responsible for the crackdown on protesters.

At least nine persons have been reportedly killed as security operatives opened fire on peaceful #ENDSARS protesters at Lekki toll gate, Lagos state today. It was also said that before the shooting started, some government officials uninstalled the closed circuit television cameras(CCTV) in the area.

The electricity at the protest area was also disconnected to prevent people from filming the attack. The protesters could be seen running for safety as the security operatives mostly policemen continued their sporadic shooting.