The first time I encountered the hashtag #EndSars, it was on the news, and I remember thinking to myself “are young people now advocating for cybercrime? What a wasted generation!” LOL. If only I had known and I actually did learn.
Four years ago, there was an outrage on social media followed by promises that failed, then the next year another cry. Rinse. Repeat. But this year has been different, the youths have mobilised themselves in a way never before seen in our history books, the support and zeal do not seem like something a generation notorious for laxity can pull off.
The whole world is on its toes as millions around the world fix their gaze on Nigeria, the government is shaken and trying to scuttle their cards. People are still trying to connect the dots, but we agree that something has happened that we do not see so what it is?
Why #EndSARS and Why Now?
Before we go in, let’s understand what this movement is about and how it came to be. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is a Nigerian Police Unit created to combat high profile crimes like robbery and kidnapping in the early ‘90s.
The circumstances surrounding the creation of the unit are amusing, but the SARS unit has become a sort of Gestapo by their own right after they were slated to address cybercrime in the country. Now they are notorious for extortion, torture, brutality, sexual crimes and extrajudicial killings all documented by Amnesty International; it is like watching the Division in the Nikita series play out in real life.
As these atrocities grew, the object of their oppression became successful young people, most of whom are making waves in the tech, design, journalism and business scene. When these crimes grew to a point, the outcry on social media forced the media and the government to take note of their crimes, this is where the young people of Nigeria started the pushback but were stalled by the lacklustre of government officials and the lip service policies they promised.
This year the atrocities grew, and with the introduction of the Police Reform Act which was smuggled through the nation’s legislative arm and provided legal backing to the horrors of these officers, young people regained focus.
As the Act matured and the reports of the activities of SARS filled the cup of tolerance the youths in Nigeria decided to take action and supported by celebrities, aided by civil society organisations & well-meaning brands with a mixture of tech-savviness and the use of social media specifically twitter, this issue came to the fore.
But the #EndSars campaign transcends resisting police brutality and enforcing reforms, it cuts deep and reflects the cries of young people who have lost hope in a country and a system that has only handed them grief and sorrow, it is a cry against unemployment, bad governance, poverty and the harsh realities of life in Nigeria.
The Structure and Future
As stated earlier, the protests had a lot of good fortune and circumstantial happenings. Like an idea whose time had come, the pandemic exposed the ineptitude of the government and the constant woes in the system.
The youths took to the streets in a disorderly manner at first, and public officials only scoffed at them, even so, many other young people were sceptical at first. Still, by what may be described as providence, the momentum increased, and the people rallied themselves.
The protests for the past week have been nothing but peaceful, but the government through the police have only responded with more violence. The unifying nature of the complaints shows that this generation is willing to disregard the artificial barriers created and forge ahead.
Side by side, people of different orientation, ethnicity, religion, ideology and even previous enemies have laid differences aside to fight the system, which is the enemy under their leader, leader? Yes, you heard me right, the people have a leader, but it is not a person.
The ideology of a better Nigeria leads these Millenials and Generation Zs forward. There is no one fit to lead this cause. Though occasional heroes arise all young people have stepped back from the spotlight to push the ideology forward, the Nigerian youth stand as one against a system designed to divide, oppress and kill them and there is no better way to continue this fight than to stand united like a fist and strike with our voices and our actions.
The average Nigerian age is 17.5, and this means the average Nigerian has never experienced anything “good” from Nigeria. This generation has decided to act on Frantz Fanon’s words and fulfil its destiny rather betray it; we do not take the backseat or shift the blame like our predecessors.
In the face of constant provocation and oppression, the movement has organised, protested peacefully, articulated its demands, influenced the International community, organised an efficient logistics system for releasing arrested protesters and transporting medical supplies, they even cleaned after them and watched over each other like a family.
The events of the past week have shown the efficacy of these young leaders who have not been motivated by money or personal gains but by a firm resolve to do what is right.
Ultimately, we realise that it will become more challenging as the days pass and the system resists. We understand that the division could grow and the Trojan horse and Pyrrhic victories will stand as distractions. Still, we remain resolved, we organise by unorganising and reorganising.
It is now an unwritten constitution for us, but it will remain inscribed in our hearts forever, and one day we will proudly tell the world and our children that we fought and we fought well.
Tolu Omogunle is a writer and policy analyst with interest in Politics, Economics, Tech and Philosophy. Follow him on twitter @toluomogunle.