End SARS

Quick Facts: Who was End SARS?

Subject:

End SARS

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Decentralized social movement demanding an end to police brutality in Nigeria.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

End SARS, widely written as EndSARS or #EndSARS, was a decentralised social movement and series of mass protests against police brutality in Nigeria that mainly occurred in October of 2020. The movement's slogan called for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit of the Nigerian Police known for its long record of abuse against Nigerian citizens. The protests originated from a Twitter campaign in 2017, using the hashtag #EndSARS to demand the unit's disbandment by the Nigerian government. The movement experienced a resurgence in October 2020 following further revelations of the unit's abuses, leading to mass demonstrations across major cities in Nigeria, and widespread outrage on social media platforms. The hashtag #EndSARS accumulated over 28 million tweets on Twitter alone.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Solidarity protests and demonstrations by Nigerians in the diaspora and sympathizers occurred in many major cities around the world. Notably, the movement was predominantly led by young Nigerians and expanded to include demands for good governance and accountability, amidst unprecedented hardship in the country. Within a few days of protests, on 11 October 2020, the Nigerian Police Force announced the dissolution of the unit with immediate effect. The move was widely perceived as a triumph for the demonstrators. However, it was noted in many quarters that similar announcements had been made in recent years to placate the public without the unit actually being disbanded, and that the government had merely planned to reassign and review SARS officers to medical centres rather than disband the unit entirely.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Protests continued accordingly, and the Nigerian government maintained a pattern of violent repression, including the killing of demonstrators. International demonstrations in solidarity with those in the country occurred, and the movement also grew increasingly critical of Muhammadu Buhari's government response to the protests. SARS officers were alleged to profile young Nigerians, mostly males, based on fashion choices, tattoos and hairstyles. They were also known to set up illegal road blocks, conduct unwarranted checks and searches, make arrests and detain without warrant or trial, rape women, and extort young male Nigerians for driving exotic vehicles and using laptops and iPhones. Nigerians shared stories and video evidence of how SARS officers engaged in kidnapping, murder, theft, rape, torture, unlawful arrests, humiliation, unlawful detention, extrajudicial killings and extortion of Nigerian citizens.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 2017: 2017 Milestone — The protests originated from a Twitter campaign in 2017, using the hashtag #EndSARS to demand the unit's disbandment by the Nigerian government.
2. 2020: 2020 Milestone — End SARS, widely written as EndSARS or #EndSARS, was a decentralised social movement and series of mass protests against police brutality in Nigeria that mainly occurred in October of 2020.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: End SARS

True or False: “The initial protests against SARS were solely organized and led by established political parties.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The movement was predominantly led by young Nigerians and utilized social media platforms like Twitter to organize.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Parker — Historical peer (Died in 2020) (2020): Acclaimed English filmmaker known for genre versatility and numerous BAFTA and Golden Globe wins.
• Albert Uderzo — Historical peer (Died in 2020) (2020): Pioneering French comic artist, co-creator of the iconic Astérix series.
• Abdul Halim of Kedah — Historical peer (Died in 2017) (2017): Sultan of Kedah and Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a pivotal Malaysian royal figure.
• Adam West — Historical peer (Died in 2017) (2017): American actor best known for portraying Batman in the 1960s and extensive voice work.

Frequently Asked Questions about End SARS