Page 26 - The Nile Explorer Magazine 011

Around Africa

Police

brutality

protest in

Nigeria

Nigerian protesters against police brutality (FILE PHOTO)

For days, Nigeria has been rocked George Floyd, a 46-year-old African- Amnesty International released a
by nationwide protests over police American man, died on May 25 after damning report in June this year in
brutality which followed widespread being handcuffed and pinned to the which it said it had documented 82
claims of Killings, kidnapping, ground by a white police officer’s cases of police brutality in Nigeria
harassment and extortion by a knee, in an encounter that was between 2017 and 2020.
special police unit known as the captured on video and incited large “Detainees in SARS custody have
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). protests against police brutality and been subjected to a variety of methods
As the chaos unfolded in Lagos, systemic racism in Minneapolis and of torture including hanging, mock
with attacks on police stations in more than 150 American cities in execution, beating, punching and
and buildings set alight the unrest the weeks and months that followed. kicking, burning with cigarettes,
became contagion with other parts Nigerians may just have touched raw water-boarding, near-asphyxiation
of the city and across the country nerve, sending a message across the with plastic bags, forcing detainees
taking to the streets too. And even continent, in countries where police to assume stressful bodily positions
when the inspector general of police brutality is the order of the day. It and sexual violence,” the report said.
announced on October 11 the will not be long before we see similar “Findings from our research indicate
disbandment of the controversial protests in other African countries that few cases are investigated and
police, protests have continued where police deals with peaceful hardly any officers are brought to
in cities across the country, with protesters the way an army responds justice on account of torture and
protestors calling for police reforms. to an invading enemy. other ill-treatment.”
According to human rights group For more over 2 decades, SARS has It was after weeks of outcry
Amnesty International, at least 58 led in the fight against serious crimes online from young people in the
people have died across Nigeria in the country -- armed robberies, country over claims of kidnapping,
since the #EndSARS protests began murder and kidnappings. However, harassment and extortion by SARS
on October 8, with President over time, the unit has tended to that protesters began taking to the
Muhammadu blaming the violence act with apparent impunity, itself streets about three weeks ago.
on “hooliganism” while asserting becoming notorious for some of The #EndSARS campaign had
that security forces have used the very crimes it was established gained increased global attention
“extreme restraint”. to fight—brutality, kidnappings, after international celebrities such as
The Nigerian leader’s comments extortion – ills that have damaged it US rapper Kanye West, singer Trey
further inflaming the tensions in reputation and that of government. Songz, former professional footballer
Africa’s most populous country as Social media campaigns against Rio Ferdinand and “Star Wars” actor
the population reacted to reports the unit began in 2018, when John Boyega supported the protests.
of more deaths by Amnesty activists mounted months-long calls The Nigerian diaspora community in
International which has continues to protesting alleged human rights Canada, England, Germany and the
monitor the situation. abuses by the squad. The reactive United States also organized protests
Inspired by the protests in the US, January 2019, reforms to the unit, in solidarity with their counterparts
that followed the killing by policy of critics say, resulted in little change. at home.

26 | The Nile Explorer 011