Although the #EndSARS campaign on social media has dipped in and out of momentum, the hashtag is back in full force today after we woke to yet another brutal civilian death. Have a look at Twitter and you will find the name Kolade Johnson amongst the top trending topics. Johnson was shot by F-SARS on Sunday afternoon while watching the Liverpool-Tottenham game, and there are quite a number of disturbing and harrowing clips of his lifeless body circulating on social media which I’ll not attach to this post.
That said, Johnson’s death sparked public protest which has now leaked into Twitter, and thus rejuvenating the activism of the #EndSARS campaign. Many are expressing shock, frustration, and the disillusionment that comes with living in an utterly dysfunctional state like Nigeria. Wherein SARS, a police unit mandated to protect Nigerians, have rewritten their own core function – killing and robbing Nigerians with impunity and promoting an atmosphere of fear.
Being young is NOT a crime. Having dreadlocks is NOT a crime.
Sagging your jeans is NOT a crime.
Having tattoos and piercings is NOT a crime.
The big crime is the police harassing and killing the innocent youth they are paid to protect, and nobody stopping them. #EndSARS— Dr. Joe Abah (@DrJoeAbah) April 1, 2019
The killing of Kolade Johnson by evil men of SARS should unite us; every young Nigerian, every region should speak up now, let’s #EndSARS
— Somto Onuchukwu (@chosensomto) April 1, 2019
Apart from demanding bribes, SARS officers have been accused of stealing or confiscating property from relatives of detained suspects. Some family members told Amnesty International that SARS officers stole their cars or withdrew all the money from their bank accounts. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Stray bullet doesn’t know your party affiliation…nor can you predict when it will be you facing those armed rascals. @PoliceNG & it’s many task forces are a problem to our society. We need to say this with one voice: #EndSARS
— Sylva Nze Ifedigbo (@nzesylva) March 31, 2019
SARS like Satan have a 3-fold ministry:
To steal
To kill
To destroyThey don’t protect shit
Arrogant lot shielded by the dysfunctional police system.
They kill at will
They kill cuz we’re young
They kill cuz we’re Nigerians
They are vampires
They are murderers#EndSARS#EndSARS— Aniefiok Etim (@aniefioketimMyk) April 1, 2019
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
SARS IS A TERRORIST GROUP
Pass it on!#EndSARS— Paul Mogbolu (@Iammisterpaul) March 31, 2019
As of the time this post was written, there has been no public statement released from the Police or SARS regarding the death of Johnson. And even if there were, what good will it do? It’s evident that the SARS unit needs to go, and the entire police revamped and given proper orientation.
When Bernard Dayo isn’t writing about pop culture, he’s watching horror movies and reading comics and trying to pretend his addiction to Netflix isn’t a serious condition.
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