BIAFRA : #EndSARS: Super Eagles stars kick against police brutality

 

Players in the Nigeria national team have identified with the widespread call to end police brutality in the country.

Protests have been going on simultaneously across the country as many have expressed their reservation particularly against the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit in the Nigeria Police Force.

SARS officials have been accused of harassing the public while discharging their duties across Nigeria and they have even been fingered in the death of scores also.

In different tweet messages on Friday, Ahmed Musa, Leon Balogun, John Ogu and many others all spoke against police brutality on citizens.

Ahmed Musa wrote: “In a world where genuine love for ourselves seems to be so scarce, I sincerely pray that the right thing is done to put an end to the strife. #EndNorthBanditry #EndPoliceBrutality”.

He wrote: “The reasons for the #EndSARSProtests have just come to my attention via very disturbing images & tweets. It is never good when those charged with protecting the citizens are now terrorising, extorting or even killing the same citizens. I support #EndSarsProtests #EndSars Flag of NigeriaBroken heart.”

John Ogu, a midfielder simply wrote: “Enough is Enough… #EndSARS”.

There have been pockets of cases where some professional footballer players in the country have shared their unpleasant experiences at the hands of SARS.

One of such was former Enyimba player Stephen Chukwude who according to reports was accosted by SARS officers on his way to Enugu and accused of being a “Yahoo Boy” on account of owning an iPhone and driving a Mercedes Benz.

Earlier this year also, Remo Stars defender, Tiyamiyu Kazeem, was allegedly shot dead by a SARS officer after an encounter in Ogun State.

Just like the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, the #EndSARS is also gathering momentum.

Buhari finally reacts to #EndSARS protests

 

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said he met with the Inspector General of Police over the continued extrajudicial activities of the notorious police unit Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

“I met again with the IGP tonight. Our determination to reform the police should never be in doubt,” Buhari tweeted.

“I am being briefed regularly on the reform efforts ongoing to end police brutality and unethical conduct, and ensure that the Police are fully accountable to the people,” he added.

Nigerians in Abuja, Oyo, Lagos, Edo, and some other states across the country have taken to the streets to demand the total disbandment of the SARS police unit. There were more than 2.4 million tweets with #EndSARS on Friday. Several celebrities also expressed support for the movement.

The squad has been accused of been notorious and their notoriety has been described as one that defies human comprehension and reeks of outright incompetence, deliberate violations of human rights, extra-judicial killings, and unbridled extortion.

Buhari said he ordered the IGP “to conclusively address the concerns of Nigerians regarding these excesses, & ensure erring personnel are brought to justice.”

Details later

BIAFRA : #EndSARS: Nigeria captain Musa, Balogun and Ogu join youths in protest against police brutality

 

Ahead of Friday's match against Algeria in Austria, Super Eagles stars have joined their compatriots to demand an end to police harassment

Nigeria captain Ahmed Musa, Leon Balogun, John Ogu, former goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and Chelsea loanee Malang Sarr are among players who have joined youths in the West African country in calling for an end to police brutality.

Nigerian youths took to the streets in large numbers on Friday to protest against the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit in the Nigeria Police Force.

Unlike other security outfits, SARS officials do not wear the usual police uniforms but they reportedly harass the public while discharging their duties across Nigeria.

After several injustices which include extortion and killings, youths are demanding a total ban of their operation, after previous efforts by the government to reform and reorganise the unit.

Earlier this year, a Remo Stars defender Tiyamiyu Kazeem was shot dead by a SARS officer after an encounter in Ogun State, the South Western region of Nigeria.

Although they are not part of Gernot Rohr’s team for Friday's international friendly game against Algeria in Austria, Balogun and Ogu have joined their voices in saying ‘enough is enough’ to the activities of the operatives.

“The reasons for the #EndSARSProtests have just come to my attention via very disturbing images & tweets. It is never good when those charged with protecting the citizens are now terrorising, extorting or even killing the same citizens. I support #EndSarsProtests #EndSars,” Balogun tweeted.

The reasons for the #EndSARSProtests have just come to my attention via very disturbing images & tweets. It is never good when those charged with protecting the citizens are now terrorising, extorting or even killing the same citizens. I support #EndSarsProtests #EndSars 🇳🇬💔 pic.twitter.com/ledTmthfta

— Leon Balogun (@LeonBalogun) October 9, 2020

“Enough is Enough .. #EndSARS,” Ogu tweeted.

Enough is Enough .. #EndSARS

— John Ogu (@ogujohnugo) October 9, 2020

From Austria, Musa and Moses Simon have also condemned the alleged inhumane actions of the security operatives.

"In a world where genuine love for ourselves seems to be so scarce, I sincerely 

pray that the right thing is done to put an end to the strife," Musa tweeted.

In a world where genuine love for ourselves seems to be so scarce, I sincerely pray that the right thing is done to put an end to the strife. #EndNorthBanditry #EndPoliceBrutality 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/hkQpd9eo6C

— AhmedMusa718 (@Ahmedmusa718) October 9, 2020

"The essence of law enforcement agents is to protect lives and properties of citizens. If the citizens they swore to protect are now their preys, then the purpose of its formation is defeated. #EndSARS #End BANDITRY Going on in the north #Togetherwestand," Simon said.

The essence of law enforcement agents is to protect lives and properties of citizens. If the citizens they swore to protect are now their preys, then the purpose of its formation is defeated. #EndSARS #End BANDITRY Going on in the north#Togetherwestand💪

— MSimon27 (@Simon27Moses) October 9, 2020

Meanwhile, France youth international and Chelsea’s Malang Sarr, who is on a season-long loan at Porto, has pledged his solidarity with Nigerians and called for an end to the police brutality.

“I feel so touched by what is going on in Nigeria now. You have my full support! We all need to come together & make sure this ends now. Peace first before anything,” Sarr wrote.

I feel so touched by what is going on in Nigeria now. You have my full support! We all need to come together & make sure this ends now. Peace first before anything! 🇳🇬✊🏿#EndSARS #EndSARSImmediately #EndSarsNow #EndSarsProtests pic.twitter.com/bYE29fkGiT

— Malang Sarr (@M_SarrOfficial) October 9, 2020

BIAFRA : #EndSARS: Nigerians protest against police brutality

 

Hundreds of people have protested against alleged police brutality for a second day across Nigeria after a video of a man allegedly being killed by police went viral.

Anger has been brewing on social media after the video of the alleged killing in the southern Delta state, which authorities denied was real.

The man who filmed the video was arrested, provoking even more anger.

Hundreds of youths gathered in Ikeja in central Lagos on Friday, holding banners reading “respect for human rights” and “a more equal society”.

In Abuja, dozens of protesters also gathered and police forces used tear gas to disperse protesters, according to witness accounts.

“Our members were close to 200 in the protest. We were teargassed,” human rights activist Deji Adeyanju told the AFP news agency.

“It’s just sad that they are clamping down on peaceful civil protest.”

Protester Anita Izato posted on Twitter: “They poured tear gas on each and every one of us, it’s so hot I had to put water on my face. This is what Nigeria has turned into.”

There were more than 2.4 million tweets with #EndSARS on Friday. Several celebrities also expressed support for the movement.

The protest movement was initially aimed at the federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), widely accused of unlawful arrests, torture and even murder, but has since broadened to include all police forces.

While the SARS unit was suspended on Sunday, groups such as Amnesty International said the government had not gone far enough, pointing to previous unsuccessful attempts to ban the force.

The #EndSARS hashtag is thought to have been first used in 2018.

BIAFRA : Burna Boy bows to pressure, joins #EndSARS

 

Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

Singer Damini Ogulu aka Burna Boy, has bowed to pressure from fans and critics and officially joined the #EndSARS movement which seeks the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force.

Burna Boy issued a statement on Saturday amid knocks from Nigerian youths who had expressed disappointment over the musician’s silence.

The self-acclaimed African giant said the protest should not be about him but about deeper issues.

He wrote, “I have taken the past week to gather my thoughts. I usually respond to these matters with my emotions and frustrations. This time I have chosen to ignore the attempts; well-meaning or derogatory to draw me out. This is not and should not be about me. It is about a fundamental problem that affects us all Nigerians, as Africans, and as human beings.

“The state of our country, Nigeria, is tricky; it has been from before I was born. My greatest concern in all of this is that SARS will end now as it allegedly has several times in the past (I recall giving calls to end SARS during my USA tour in April 2019  and morph into a different entity down the line with a different form or a different name. In my opinion, abolishing the unit is a definite first step but we cannot afford to stop there.”

The Grammy Award nominee applauded the protesters for exercising their right to demonstrate.
He also stated that he had created a fund that would be used in helping protesters that are wrongfully arrested by the police.

The singer added, “I have created a sub-fund under my charity- The Reach called (@ProjectProtectng) to help protesters that are wrongfully harmed/arrested by SARS during and after these protests. This is a fund for the people by the people.”

Thousands of Nigerian youths have been protesting police harassment and extrajudicial killing by SARS, a specialised unit that was created over a decade ago to tackle armed robbery.

Over the years, however, SARS operatives started extorting money from youths driving big cars, using expensive phones, laptops or wearing dreadlocks.

The harassment has on several occasions degenerated to killings.
The fresh protests which began on Thursday, has been endorsed by both local and international entertainers and several other prominent figures.

EndSARS campaign continues till there is restructuring – Sam Adeyemi

 

The Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi has lent his voice to the #EndSARS campaign seeking an end to the operations of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).

The #EndSARS campaign started a few days ago on social media following complaints of harassment of Nigerians.

Following this outcry, the IGP earlier on Sunday banned the Federal SARS from stop and search on Nigerian roads.

Reacting, Sam Adeyemi, writing on his Twitter page, said the #EndSARS campaign would continue until the system changed and restructuring took place.

The clergyman wrote: “The #EndSARS campaign continues, till the value system driving the treatment of citizens with indignity by police units and public officials changes.

“Public officials must use power to serve citizens, not to intimidate and exploit them. This is one restructuring we really need.”

IGP bans SARS from patrols, checkpoints

 

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Abubakar Adamu, has banned the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).

The police force in a statement signed by PPRO, Frank Mba demanded that all stop and search duties and patrols by SARS be terminated with immediate effect.

This is following the nationwide outcry by Nigerians over the harassment and killing of youths by SARS.

The IGP also warned against invasion of privacy of citizens, unauthorized search of phones and laptops.

The police boss ordered that no personnel should appear in mufti but uniforms during patrols or tactical assignments.

Part of the state that read: “FSARS, STS, IRT & other Tactical @PoliceNG Squads operating at Federal, Zonal & Command levels are hereby BANNED from carrying out routine patrols & other conventional low-risk duties – stop and search duties, checkpoints, roadblocks, traffic checks, etc with immediate effect.

“All Tactical Squads must also desist from the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, Laptops and other smart devices.”