The #EndSARS movement began as a campaign to persuade the president and the police hierarchy to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) nationwide due to their acts of brutality, extrajudicial killings, and constant harassment of citizens. The protest, which began on October 8, 2020, began slowly in Lagos but quickly gained traction, with protesters even camping on the road to demonstrate their determination to end the police unit.
It quickly spread to the majority of the country. However, on October 20, 2020, a covert shooting at the Lekki Tollgate quickly changed the dynamics of the otherwise peaceful protest, resulting in widespread violence, looting, deaths, and unprecedented property destruction. In this special report commemorating the one-year anniversary of the watershed event, Vanessa Obioha led a team of THISDAY reporters through the maze of the #EndSARS protests and their ramifications.
Videos and images of the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate flooded social media on the evening of October 20, 2020. Obianuju Catherine Udeh, also known as DJ Switch, a Nigerian female disc jockey, raised the alarm that armed men in military uniforms were shooting protesters who had camped out at the Lekki tollgate for over a week, blocking access to the highbrow area of Lagos State.
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The soldier in charge of the operation was Gen. Francis Omata. The claim was later debunked. DJ Switch went on to say that the soldiers killed some protesters and carted their bodies away to cover up their crimes. The Lagos State Government declared a curfew just hours before the alleged killing. Originally scheduled for 4 p.m., it was rescheduled for 9 p.m. to allow people to safely return home.
Within minutes, the internet was flooded with rage and grief from Nigerians who saw the attack as unjust and inhumane. Some of the images and videos, which were later discovered to be unrelated to the event, resembled scenes from a terrifying horror film. On social media, international bodies and world leaders were urged to sanction President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for human rights violations.
The Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department established the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in 1992 to investigate and combat criminal activities. It became known for illegal arrests, extortion, brutality, and extrajudicial killings. On October 3, 2020, however, a misleading video by Prince Nicholas Makolomi sparked a nationwide protest. Makolomi claimed in the video that police killed a young man who jumped out of a police vehicle in Ughelli, Delta State.
Although he later verified his facts and realized that the man had not been killed, the damage had already been done because the narrative sparked protests against the police, particularly SARS, which had previously been accused of various human rights violations. By October 8, 2020, pockets of protest had begun to spread throughout the country.
The unit was officially disbanded on October 11, 2020, by the then-Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, which many thoughts had been a long time coming. However, the protests continued because protesters saw an opportunity to bring about the necessary change in the country.
