By Mary De- Wind
People gathered at the Clock Tower in Leicester this week to protest and spread awareness of the police brutality going in Nigeria.
On Tuesday in Lekki, Nigeria, hundreds of young people gathered to protest for a change and to call for an end to the SARS organisation and reform the police force.
They had been peacefully protesting for the previous 9 days but what happened next has led to claims the Nigerian government sanctioned mass murder.
All streetlights and Wi-Fi were cut off and reports claim the police began a massacre, with many young people losing their lives and a lot seriously injured.
“If we fail in our endeavours just know dis government will restrict social media, international programmes on TV, they will curb most things dey feel influenced our behaviour. So, we cannot fail! We stay strong & determined,” said DJ Switch, a Nigerian musician.
In 1992 the Nigerian Police Force created a group called The Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS). The group aimed to deal with crimes such as robberies, theft, and firearms against civilians.
Since launching the group there have been continuous reports of SARS caught doing illegal activities such as murdering, torturing, raping, and killing people for no reason.
The Nigerians in Leicester organised the protest at The Clock Tower on Wednesday. They brought placards, flags, speakers, sanitisers, and face masks.
Jagila a co-organiser said “We want our people back at home to know, we are speaking the truth for them. We wanted Leicester to know what was happening in our country, wanted to spread the truth since our leaders have become liars.
“I am devastated, how can a government that is meant to protect its citizens kill them? They had no regards for human rights. All because we asked not to be killed.
“Every Nigerian has heard an experience about SARS either from their own experience or from close friends. We only wanted a better community where we would not be killed and then they made us know they never cared for us” explained Jagila.
“We must change the system. We are used to suffering which is not right. We need to stop recycling the so-called leaders. We need a leader that has been in the system, knows how it works, knows where the shoe is hurting us. If we can do that, I believe there will be a change,” said Jagila.
DMU student Dami explained: “The protest today was personal especially what happened in Lekki yesterday. It was the realisation of permanent damage caused by our government to the lives of those families. The protest was a mix between a cry for hep and a cry for change.”
#ENDSARS #ENDPOLICEBRUTALITY
