Police brutality is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. Even the seat of democracy that is the U.S.A have experienced it over the years. Tamir rice, Michael brown and recently George Floyd are a Testament to that fact.
Nigeria's case is amplified though. Being a third world country, virtually every paramilitary outfit (Except the disciplined Nigerian Navy) are brutal with us Nigerians.. Old story. Add to the mix a non working system, where it is sinking further everyday and everybody is becoming frustrated.
When a young man was killed by the SARS team somewhere in delta state, Nigerians had had enough. The physical protest started 8th October2020, in some key cities nationwide. It is instructive to note that the victims of this untrained SARS/Police team cut across
everybody. hausa, igbo, yoruba, banker, footballer, student, doctor, waka pass. The sponsors of these protests then were ordinary
Nigerians, tired of the endless brutality. We wanted a situation where being with a laptop did not make you a yahoo boy, or being extorted or spending the next 6 years in prison unaccounted for or being killed extra judicially. Thank God for public outcry the world now knows there was SARS awkuzu and a James Nwafor.

The protests started. Ordinary Nigerians who wanted a better society came through. There were images of hope everywhere -Prayer walk, the Sunday/Friday street prayers, people leaving their offices, using their cars and money just to lend a voice, mini jamborees here and there just to keep the fire burning. It was beautiful. More voices, bigger voices were joining in the call for change. Celebrities, corporate bodies, international media, etc.. We were winning!

A few people have always profited from our general confusion and lack of direction in this country, and they did it again. First, our President
DID NOT see the need to address us during those first few days. We were met with the usual indifference Then we woke up one morning and heard they have disbanded SARS. It was a case of we have disbanded SARS now, oya disperse and go home. Pretend all is well. Just like
that?? We all knew it was a gimmick. Police, army and other goons would still brutalize and kill people. It was a case of coming too far to back down over a certainly insincere promise, besides we all knew SARS was the poster word for all the evils facing us then/now as Nigerians. That partially split the protests. The ever faithful government media defenders held on to that empty declaration in countering the protesters. Then agendas began to pop in. We began to see end buhari, end tinubu, End APC, end PDP end this and that. The protests began to have a political coloration. Were these people actually government agents planted as moles? or Anti-government forces?

In all of these, he (genuine)protesters showed rare organization. No one was robbed, molested or injured. Ladies, children and pregnant women came, joined and left unharmed. But as with any protest, they blocked a lot of roads, inconveniences here and there. A small price to
pay for the greater good, some thought.

The facts of October 20 are that UNARMED protesters were violently dispersed by soldiers. Shots were repeatedly fired. People will argue
about loss of life. Nearby hospital reported injured people or bodies brought in No be today gofament dey mop up crime scene asap.
What happened next was just madness, one nobody bargained for. It was obvious the good guys had lost. These 'new' guys set about in destruction and killings, freeing hardened criminals. Lagos and some eastern states were hot. A sitting king was almost killed, the governor's home was assaulted. Some neighborhood in Lagos mainland became the playground for dreaded killer groups. It ended in pain for everybody.


WHAT DID WE GAIN?
Hope. Even if it were for just five minutes, the idea of us all coming together to press home our demand was special. This one pass ASUU or
NLC. EVERYBODY was involved. In unity, we can win.
We also forced them to the table. scared stiff they came asking for what we wanted. In this same Nigeria?? We try. Justice has been dispensed to a few people, and more will get theirs.

REFLECTIONS
Police brutality did not stop. One day one story. Extortions, beatings, killings has not stopped. Also, not everybody is ready for that change. May they don't want change, or Nigeria is ingrained into them that they dread any other kind of Nigeria. The suffering and smiling crew. Co-opting these ones will be difficult. They are eternally attached to their oppressors. they are a huge number on all divides.

Sectionalism- For whatever reason, some people seemed to celebrate the destruction of Lagos. I do not know if they just keyboard warriors or were active in the looting and burning. The separatist group IPOB were one such groups. The senselessness in just wanting the world to burn without thinking of the consequences on the Igbos they claim to represent. Some of my mischievous kinsmen wanting to 'fightback' thought it wise to to share inciting messages on social media on how 'they' want to destroy their Lagos. Groups like Awawa boys just didn't care though. It was all destruction for them.

Before we ever think of standing up to our oppressors ever again, let us all be truly tired, truly angry. Saboteurs, clannish people, and lovers of oppression must never be able to influence or think for us again, or else any revolution or uprising will die a natural death.






20.10.20, Lekki toll gate. We will always remember.

Any protest now will lead to revolution

As long as they keep getting peanuts from the government that's all no complain....
they are known as nairaland zombies. Watch as they will attack the o.p with senseless points....

It is just a peaceful protest to remember the Endsars fallen heroes.

Any Igbo man that joins this protest doesn't have common sense but thank God most Ndigbo (more than 98%) doesn't fall in the category.

So Afonjas, do your yeye protest alone.
Thank you all and God bless

Jostoman:
It is just a peaceful protest to remember the Endsars fallen heroes.

Not at this point. Things could easily spiral out of control.

Chai. Omo, na you write this epistle?

Reflection? Hmm. Are you a melancholy?

Secondly, did your phone number get lost in the Arctic Ocean?

I think the issues of looted funds by the protest leader should also have been added.