#ENDSARS: BLOOD, POWER, COURAGE AND SACRIFICE
Picture Sourced On-line (lekki toll gate slaughter)
By Momodu Treasured
If historical past might go away the summary area and unfold by our sky like rainbow do after rain, Nigeria would have been a hotspot for photographers everywhere in the world to seize the awestricken colors that painted her sky over the last quarter of the yr 2020.
It began like a baby’s play when Naira Marley and Runtown first promised to hit the streets of Lagos to protest in opposition to the surplus of the safety outfit, Particular Anti-Theft Squad, popularly generally known as SARS. That was not the primary time Nigerians would name for the tip of this company, however all earlier agitations had been made on social media. Although the residents by no means introduced themselves to the entrance door of the federal government’s workplace to protest of their earlier agitations, their on-line expression is audible sufficient for any cheap authorities to place in place all vital means to eradicate police brutality. However when the bane persists for years, the potential victims, largely the youths, determined to take the notch a bit larger by organising a peaceable protest to realize the eye of their elected candidates in political energy. However for days of raging protest, the president of Nigeria failed to deal with the nation.
When the federal government would lastly take motion in the direction of the calls for of her residents, the Inspector Normal of Police, Mohammed Adamu, introduced the dismantle of SARS and the creation of a brand new subset christened SWAT.
This by no means pacify the agitators. In reality, it infuriated them the extra. “Is the federal government implying that they don’t have any proper to demand an finish to an undesirable coverage?”, “Is the presidency implying that it made them Nigerians to contradict their beliefs that they made the presidency what it’s?” or “The federal government is insinuating that they’re too insignificant to make calls for within the nation they contribute their existence to?”
These are among the many questions that roamed the minds of those protesters and for this sake, they steered the wheels of their agitation in the direction of the course that won’t solely see an finish in the direction of police brutality but in addition put an finish to the century outdated poor governance that dragged their nation from its destined publish as one of the developed nations on the planet to one of many poorest economic system there may be, regardless of it is monumental human and pure sources.
Picture sourced on-line (Agitated youths)
Seeing from the angle of an skilled, the ant of those youth really carried a roasted plantain as an alternative of the grain of rice that’s about its dimension, particularly when all of the weapon that they had was a peaceable protest that would solely entice consideration.
Although, the federal government denied their involvement within the hurdles that confronted the protesters afterwards, all of the questions of who and why in a prison case factors on to the elected politicians because the primary suspect that would and would provoke such.
The primary problem that the protesters confronted was the employed thugs that attacked them with machete. However when the various lastly resolve to take cost of their life from the few, employed thugs is simply too small to scare them off. The following technique that was put in place to silence the protesters was a bribe, however surprisingly, they refused that too and stood steadfast to their calls for.
When mufti thugs and cash couldn’t silence the youths, the final resort to repel them is worry. On October 10, 2020, the Nigerian military drove to Lekki toll gate to “preserve legislation and order” the place peaceable protesters had been expressing their calls for to the federal government.
On the protest floor, video proof captured the army males taking pictures on the protesters. Additionally, dwell movies confirmed protesters ejecting bullets from the wounded victims. This was a dwell bullet that leaves blood behind its path. However come the morning, Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, mentioned really there was a taking pictures however “no person died”. Then totally different contradicting stories got here from the federal government authorities that ought to be held accountable for the occured incidents.
A wishy-washy judicial panel was rapidly initiated to analyze the case. However for many who had been alive to witness what occurred to the outspoken artiste, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, in 1979 when 1000 “unknown” troopers laid siege to his home and the homicide case of the unconventional journalist, Dele Giwa, that remained an unsolved thriller until date, would know the tip results of the supposed males of honor that constitutes this hastly made judicial panel.
One of many info that corroborate this stance was the panels’ advice to reopen Lekki toll gate earlier than the tip of their investigation. The ripple impact of this resolution noticed to the arrest and public humiliation of Debo Adedayo, popularly generally known as Mr Macaroni, on the 14th of February 2021.
Although the aim of the protest was not reached, the reminiscence of #ENDSARS will certainly go away a stupendous scar within the minds of common Nigerians.
Whereas narrating the expertise of the protest, one of many pop star that was on the entrance line, David Adeleke (Davido), expressed that, “It was loopy and emotional, but in addition a proud second for me as a result of I didn’t go there as Davido, I went there as a younger Nigerian to march with my folks on the streets of Abuja. It was all about letting our voices be heard and getting the Inspector Normal of Police’s consideration, in addition to the Speaker of the Home of Representatives, the decrease chambers of the Nigerian parliament and different folks in authorities.”
No doubt, the youths made sure that their voices had been heard of their demand for a greater nation. If no constructive end result is derived from the protest, it’s by no means their failure. It’s the negligence and incapability of the elected public servants to offer a secure haven for the nation they promised to serve.