In December 2017, many Nigerians took to social media to call for the proscription of the police special anti robbery squad (SARS), over its alleged brutality.
Six months after, the campaign has resurfaced on various social media platforms, with citizens saying the “careless” regard for human lives which they say is evident in operations of SARS operatives is getting worse.
SARS was established by the Nigeria police to fight violent crimes.
Many Nigerians are currently recounting tales of woe and unsavoury experiences in the hands of SARS officers, ranging from alleged cases of illegal arrest to torture and extrajudicial killings.
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The police had dismissed the outcry when it first began last year, with Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman, saying the SARS operatives were doing “fantastically well”.
“As we speak, SARS is doing fantastically well across the country in reducing incidents of robbery to the barest minimum… they are doing very, very well,” Moshood had told TheCable.
Amid the outcry, Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, ordered the immediate reorganisation of the squad as well as the investigation of alleged crimes of torture levelled against its operatives.
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He had also ordered that they must stay off civil matters and that they must operate in “official uniform clearly marked for identification”.
But over the weekend, Nigerians took to the social media to say rather than things improving, the alleged brutality of the police squad is “getting worse”.
Using the hashtag #EndSARS, they are calling on the government to proscribe the police unit, as well as investigate allegations of abuse against citizens.
Whatever change the IG made in the wake of the #ENDSARS campaign only made things worse. FSARS SARS activities have reached terrorist levels.
Advertisement— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) June 8, 2018
A total of 20 former detainees at #SARS stations in Abuja, Awkuzu and Enugu told Amnesty International that they had not been told the nature of their alleged offences during arrest & that they had no access to lawyers. #EndSARS #EndSarsAtrocities #Nigeria
Advertisement— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) June 10, 2018
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#EndSARS I was harassed this morning on Ado road. Ajah … I had to pay 5k for no offence… I was going to work this morning…only to be stopped because I didn't put on headlamps..
— 🇳🇬PTECK Designs -Ette Ekott🇨🇦 (@pteckdesigns) June 11, 2018
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Every SARS case you see here are from those who own a cellphone and can at least post their ordeal. Now think about the countless helpless illiterate young people without phones who can't cry out on social media shoes illiterate parents have sold everything to basil them #EndSARS
Advertisement— 20-10-2020 (@DirectorSolomon) June 9, 2018
We are not just being quiet on the #EndSars campaign, most of us out ther have been victims of these monsters, they see innocent civilians on their genuine "hustle" they capitalize on you and call you a cultist meanwhile they're the true cultists and robbers #SARS must not thrive
— Obidient DANIEL (@POUNLARS) June 11, 2018
Even on a Monday, one will still be considering wearing Native & sandals again just be safe from those who are meant to protect us. Too many videos & photos proves surfacing online, yet they say it's a scam. They call us lazy but yet won't allow us walk freely to hustle #EndSARS
— T U S L E E M ⏲️💣 (@TusleemOfficial) June 11, 2018
The extortion, brutality, torture, stealing, corruption and lawlessness of #SARS officials seem to be a lucrative business to them. The steady daily income that's sometimes higher than their monthly salary has made them rolling in money.#LazySARS #EndSARS
THREAD 👇— Since 1972 𝕏 (@KenMcWealth) June 10, 2018
The #EndSARS campaign is not an anti-government or anti-buhari campaign, it is neither personal nor political, I expect every reasonable Nigerian to join the campaign.
We can not continue to watch criminals in Police uniforms maltreat people they are paid to secure.
— Olúyẹmí Fásípè AICMC (@YemieFash) June 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/CACCOT1/status/1005955474452250624?s=19
I've called my lawyer and I am sleeping here at @PoliceNG Ugborikoko Division because I refused to part with NGN15,000. How can I pay any amount for committing no crime.#EndSars
— Oghenetega 🇳🇬🇧🇧 🇬🇧🏴 (@Tega_Paul) June 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/godlystoner/status/1005966311145529346?s=19
Amnesty International believes that because many officers have bribed their way into #SARS units, they may therefore feel unaccountable to the very superiors they have bribed and who, in many cases, are the ones to investigate their alleged wrongdoing. #EndSARS #EndSarsAtrocities
— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) June 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/CACCOT1/status/1005876293009858560?s=19
I‘m leading the next #ENDSARS camping in Lagos & I’m ready to finance it as well. If you reside in Lagos, please come out for this protest, don’t be a coward. Together we are stronger. We will match from Lekki to Tinubu’s residence in Ikoyi. @segalink @SympLySimi @ReekadoBanks.
— Ọdọfín M Abiodun (@OdofinMA) June 10, 2018
It goes beyond sars. It’s the whole police force…the astounding impunity and brutality. If a young man has not been harassed by the police in Nigeria, he has not been born. #EndSARS
— F. SHAW (@FshawKingFisher) June 10, 2018
Since the #ENDSARS conversation started, it’s become worse. That scares me. A lot. It’s kind of like racism abroad. The more people rage against it, the worse it sometimes seems to get. Are we supposed to shut up about injustice? What can be done? When? How? It’s terrifying!
— Simi (@SympLySimi) June 9, 2018
Osinbajo knows Lasisi Elenu ,Charles Okocha, knows how to quickly arrange photo ops with tech boys but conveniently knows nothing about #EndSARS, a real & existential threat to the lives of many young people. Just like he knows nothing about the persecution of #BBOG. Funny guy
— Babanla (@biolakazeem) June 9, 2018
Today seems to be an appropriate day to share one of my worst SARS stories.
Happened in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state when I was still in school (OOU). I could have died that day but thank God. I have had so many encounters with them but this was the craziest. #EndSARS
— Demola Of Lagos 𓃵 (@OmoGbajaBiamila) June 10, 2018
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