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2 Africa telegraph 25 October - 09 November 2020

If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a West Africa News
blind and toothless nation

By Goodluck Ngoma
Abuja, Nigeria - Martin Luther King Jr
said, “If we do an eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and
toothless nation.” Nigerian politicians and
leaders are believed to have plundered
the wealth of the country for decades.
As a result, youths are on a looting and
stealing rampage on the streets as they
campaign to #ENDSARS.

During the #ENDSARS protest at Lek-
ki, in Lagos on the night of 20 October,
th
at about 6.30pm, the Nigerian military
opened fire during a peaceful demonstra-
tion and massacred innocent civilians.
Now, the Nigerian youths are capturing
Police Officers, local businesses and
government properties, and setting them
on fire. “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for
a tooth” is clearly making Nigeria a blind
and toothless country.

#ENDSARS
End SARS was a peaceful protest aimed
to highlight police brutality in Nigeria.
The slogan calls for an end to the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS, a
controversial unit of the Nigerian Police
with a long record of abuses.
Nigerians youths are outraged by police brutality.
#ENDSARS gathered momentum two
weeks ago after a video appeared on SARS protest on Thursday, 22 October,
social media showing Police Officers in Nnewi, Anambra State.
shoot and kill a man. As a result, many
stories and other evidences of police Protests were also held in the commer-
harassment, victimisation, rape, assault, cial hub, Lagos, the country’s capital,
intimidation, unlawfully arrests, extortion Abuja, and many other cities.
and murdering innocent citizens circulat-
ed widely. Nigerian Police have always “A leader can never win a battle
been unconventional. A 2016 index of against his own people”
world policing ranked Nigeria’s force as
the worst out of 127 countries. Nigerians Former president, Goodluck Jonathan
across the country have too often been has condemned the shooting of #END-
terrorised by those supposed to protect SARS protesters by security forces.
and serve them. Jonathan, in a statement last Thursday,
said the federal government did not talk
Lekki Massacre with the protesters before using force. He
added that such actions will only worsen
The shooting of peaceful protestors in the situation, which he said has already
Lekki has highlighted the injustice and happened.
the kind of police and state brutality that
have fuelled the #ENDSARS movement He said, “As leaders, we must under-
in the first place. Police Chief, Mr Adamu said all SWAT staff will undergo a psychological stand that we can never win a battle
and medical examination before further training and redeployment. A new
At Lekki, in Lagos on 20 October, Nige- Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team will fill the gaps left from the against our own people.”
ria’s flag was stained with the blood of in- dissolution of SARS. Buhari emergency meeting of former
nocent protesters. The young protestors Nigerian presidents
were clutching onto their national flag believed it is the same people in a new Harcourt in defiance of a ban on demon-
when security forces opened fire at the uniform. As a result, they produced an- strations imposed by the Rivers State The tension was so bad that the current
Lekki tollgate. The state’s governor ini- other campaign known as #ENDswat on governor. president had to hold a virtual emergency
tially denied that anyone was killed, but Twitter. To replace a notorious agency meeting with his predecessors, to find a
later confirmed that it was just one fatal- that was disbanded following public out- At least three people have been shot way to end the unrest.
ity, only for witnesses to release videos cry over its alleged human rights abuses dead during a clash between campaign-
and photos of multiple fatalities among with another, is inconceivable. ers and police in Ibadan, Oyo State cap- President Buhari presided over a Nation-
the hundreds gathered in defiance of a ital on Tuesday, witnesses say. al Security Council meeting with some
curfew. Nationwide protest former heads of state, including, General
On Wednesday 21 October, protesters Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), former President
State violence permeates society The most peaceful demonstrations have set Nwaorieubi Police Divisional Head- Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen Abdulsalami
been disrupted by the massacre of young quarters in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State on Abubakar (rtd.), former President Good-
The government said it would disband people in Lekki. Amnesty International fire. luck Jonathan, and former head of in-
the SARS squad, but added that it would said last Tuesday that at least ten peo- terim national government, Chief Ernest
create a new unit known as SWAT. The ple were killed in the protests, but reports In Ondo State, protesters ignored the Shonekan.
head of the police Mohammed Ada- gave much higher figures. curfew and three people were reported
mu, announced that SWAT would carry killed as the police shot at protesters. Others who are physically present at the
out the duties done by the Special Anti The event that started in Lagos and Abu- meeting are members of the security
Robbery Squad (SARS). Nigerians were ja is now becoming a nationwide unrest. The police spokesperson, Haruna Mo- chiefs, including Vice President
outraged by the unveiling of the new po- hammed confirmed that a police officer Yemi Osinbajo; National Se-
lice unit. They see the changes as not In the eastern part of the country, activ- was beheaded and burnt to ashes by curity Adviser, Major General
enough to reform the police, as they ists have marched in the oil hub of Port suspected hoodlums during the #END-