12/12/2020
Aisha Yesufu )
Rina Oduala ()
In the early 1990s, the Nigerian government set up the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The squad was tasked with cracking down on violent crime. But what was once supposed to be a beacon of safety and hope turned into one of the most feared police groups in the world, with plainclothes officers harassing young, everyday citizens.
In early October, a graphic video of SARS officers dragging several people out of a hotel room in Lagos State and shooting one of them in the street, was shared on social media. At the same time, another video of an officer shooting another person in Delta State, stealing his car and speeding off, was circulating just as fast. Graphic videos of people being shot in cold blood, kidnapped, and extorted at the hands of SARS officers have been shared on social media consistently for years.
While its agrees that ending SARS is important, ending oppression should be the main focus. If one were to end the endless oppression of Nigerian citizens through corruption and neglect, other issues would work themselves out. The source of police brutality is the lasting impact of colonialism and those colonialist mindsets ruined Nigeria’s natural homeostasis.
