The Nigeria as we know it slept on Saturday 3rd of October, and very exasperated citizens woke up to reports of yet another alleged murder of a Nigerian youth by members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officers in Delta State. Although a normal headliner in Nigerian tabloids for years now, the public outcry that follows such reports doesn’t result to any prosecution or the least explanation by the now defunct F-SARS of the Nigerian Police force.

Even though the Police Force vehemently denied any hand in what happened to Joshua Ambrose the young man from Ugheli, Delta State; Nigerians did not buy it and this ushered what is said to be the most widespread, independent, non-partisan and voluntary protest in the nation’s 60 years history.
The anger being felt by the Nigerian youths who refused to celebrate the annual independence day four days prior due to perceived ineptitude and incompetency in the present administration was amplified by the news of the familiar monster the government created and wouldn’t keep on tight leash despite numerous complaints of abuse, murder, kidnaps, brutality, extortion and violation of human rights.

The protest began online on 4th of October with hashtag #ENDSARS and quickly blew into an inferno when musicians Douglas Jack Agu (Runtown) and Folarin Falana (Falz) announced a date (8th of October) for a peaceful protest after another of their spineless colleague chickened out due to alleged pressure from the Force hierarchy.

In spite of the protest against brutality from police officers, peaceful protesters were shot at and brutalized, resulting in the death of at least one young man, Jimoh Isiaq and injuries on more than ten others in the beginning days of the protest. The ill advised move of the government to stifle the protest with arrests and intimidation met hard resistance, alongside the threat of some weak Governors banning protests in their states and the alleged threat to shut down internet service with the intention of destabilizing the protest with communication breakdown.

The protest is increasingly demanding accountability and respect from armed forces in the country and is also requesting immediate review of the salary of the police force which is suspected to be the root of the decay in the system; its tentacles are also spreading to address other begging anomalies in the country. The widespread but surprisingly very coordinated protest by the youths is forcing the government to bend to the will of the masses.

https://www.ojamedia.com/2020/10/endsars-protest-story-behind-protests.html