End SARS is a social campaign in Nigeria opposing the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigerian Police Force. The campaign started as a social media campaign using the hashtag #ENDSARS to demand Nigeria’s government to scrap and end the deployment of Nigeria Police Force Special Anti-Robbery Squad, popularly known as SARS.
It appears the issues driving the campaign is now at a crescendo as A-list celebrities such as Falz, Runtown, and lately, Davido join forces to call on the Buhari-led administration to disband the special police unit.
No reform No change of oga No ban … we want it scrapped completely!!! #EndSARSImmediately
— Davido (@davido) October 9, 2020
The issues with the Anti Robbery Squad has been longstanding. In February this year, footballer Kazeem Tiyamiyu, whose death sparked protests in the south-western Nigerian city of Sagamu, was buried but questions remained about his death according to a BBC report.
The circumstances surrounding Tiamiyu’s death were widely condemned across the country as it reportedly happened while he was in a vehicle being detained by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) force.
It led to a protest march – demanding justice and for SARS to be disbanded – by thousands of residents in Sagamu, which is about 50km north-east of the commercial capital, Lagos.
At least three people were reported to have died during the protest march, with police saying that they are ‘still investigating’ these claims.
iHeard a woman was shot yesterday by sars ?? how true is this????? pic.twitter.com/JAQMJW1FNY
— DREMO🔥🐉 (@Dremodrizzy) October 9, 2020
Amnesty International said in a report Tuesday that authorities failed to tackle the impunity enjoyed by SARS, whose brutality and corruption are “becoming increasingly brazen.”
“Last weekend, the Nigerian police announced yet another ban on routine patrols by SARS and other tactical squads of the Nigerian Police, the fourth such ban in four years, amid growing anger over harassment and abuse by officers,” said the rights group.
“This is yet another lame attempt to rein in this unit of the Nigerian Police, which is notorious for the widespread torture and other ill-treatment of Nigerians,” Director of Amnesty International Nigeria Osai Ojigho, said in the report.
Minister of Police Affairs Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi also announced a probe into violations by the police unit.
