5 Things: How Fela, Tiwa, Pastors, Rihanna, Media reacted to #EndSARS Protest

By Aniwura Omolayo

Listen on the go to an audio version here. 

#EndSARS protesters in Nigeria in October 2020

The fate of October 2020 was long determined 28 years ago when the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was created by former police commissioner Simeon Danladi Midenda. 

                                     

With good intentions, SARS was primarily meant to tackle the growing incidents of robbery in Nigeria. But throughout the second till last weeks of that October, millions of Nigerians across the country and abroad protested the unlawful arrests, torture and murder by the squad.

Ironically, SARS was formed in memory of Col. Israel Rindam, of the Nigerian Army, who was shot dead by police officers at a checkpoint in Lagos in September 1992.

The hashtags #EndSARS, #EndPoliceBrutality, #EndBrutality, and #SoroSoke (which means "speak out" in a Nigerian language Yoruba) gained international attention, moreso after the Lekki massacre on 20 October 2020.

Personalities, influencers, world leaders, nations and brands among others joined the protest by lending their voices on social media.

1. Fela Kuti on 22 October 2020

Fela is an icon world over. If alive, the legendary singer would probably have said this with stronger words on the official handle @FelaKuti:

“The Kuti Estate strongly supports the #EndPoliceBrutality movement and stands in solidarity with the protesters. Fela spent his life standing up to unwarranted violence from the police and military, and would be outraged to see the cycle continuing today. The struggle must STOP!”

Fela’s most vocal protégé, Seun Kuti, did not stay in the shadows. On his handle @RealSeunkuti, he tweeted on 26 October 2020:

 “SORROW TEARS AND BLOOD #EndOppression ✊🏿LIBERATION GENERATION (Soro Soke Generation) ✊🏿ALUTA”

2. Nigerian Pastors  

Two voices represent the old and contemporary churches in Nigeria: Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Sam Adeyemi, senior pastor of Daystar Christian Centre. They were surprisingly open about their stand.

Pastor Adeboye on 14 October on his handle @PastorEAAdeboye:

“Our daughters will not be able to prophesy and young men will not see visions if we don’t keep them alive. I support the youths in this peaceful protest as they “speak up” to #EndPoliceBrutality #EndSARS #ENDSWAT.”

Pastor Sam on 25 October 2020 tweeted a long thread, on his handle @Sam_Adeyemi, which showed how passionate the otherwise soft-spoken leader was:

“11. Continue to call for a stop to the looting and destruction. Take a deep breath. You created a mini new Nigeria. How do you take things forward and scale up? Please, stay strong online, own your narrative by all means and keep your discussions going. #ENDSARS”

3. Tiwa Savage on 22 October 2020

Tiwa Savage is Nigeria’s internationally acclaimed female singer. On her handle @TiwaSavage, she tweeted a 30-second video so emotional that it could draw blood from a stone, accompanied by “No distractions, we’ve got work to do so help us God.”

4. Rihanna on 21 October 2020

It is more than half a decade since Rihanna last visited Nigeria, but she was one of the first international icons to speak out about the protest and killings.

On her handle @Rihanna, she tweeted the #ENDSARS with the picture of a bloody Nigerian flag and her heartfelt comments: “I can’t bear to see this torture and brutalization that is continuing to affect nations across our planet! It’s such a betrayal to the citizens. The very people put in place to protect are the ones we are most afraid of being murdered by! My heart is broken for Nigeria, man!! It is unbearable to watch! I’m so proud of your strength and not letting up on the fight for what’s right! #ENDSARS”

5. The Media

Can we agree that CNN and BBC are the most prominent news channels globally? Okay, we’ll drag that out another day.

On 9 October 2020, BBC tweeted on the handle @BBCAfrica:

“The hashtag #ENDSARS has been trending at no.1 worldwide today, as protestors continue to demand a notorious police unit in Nigeria, is disbanded. https://bbc.in/3iLvLJF”

CNN on 25 October 2020:

Trust CNN to keep up with developing stories. The news network had its Nigerian bureau chief, Stephanie Busari, following the stories on the streets as the protest began and escalated. Tweets rushed in from its handle @CNN:

“Nigeria's youth finds its voice with the EndSARS protest movement | Analysis by @StephanieBusari. https://cnn.it/3kzBc04”

Did you tweet or post any materials online during the #EndSARS protest? Please share the link with me in the comment section! 

This post was written and voiced by Aniwura Omolayo on 6 November 2020 in Nigeria. It first appeared in October 2020 on an online magazine The Decade, a one-off production for the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ).