#YNaijaEndSARSUpdate: Is the government fighting back with thugs? | #AlausaProtest

As we’ve seen historically, through countless cases, a peaceful protest is only a few violent acts away from turning to a national crisis.

Protests are naturally a result of the dissatisfaction of a people stemming from a failure of the Government or some other administrative body to attend to the concerns of said people. The protest Nigeria is currently experiencing is no different.

All of this would have been easily avoidable if the government had been accountable to the security outfit it gave the mandate to kill innocent Nigerians. The outrage would have never erupted this much if victims of police brutality were given justice, and rogue officers reprimanded, but the government has failed to do that. Instead, it has turned a blind eye to the heinous crimes, perpetrated by the Federal Anti Robbery Squad, (FSARS), some of which were actually caught on camera.

As a result, a wildfire in the form of #EndSARS protest is engulfing the nation. However, this wildfire so far has been largely constructive, with protesters merely using their voice and their numbers to facilitate positive change, and bring an end to a law enforcement agency which has persistently acted with utter impunity.

You would think that a public outcry with such a reasonable motive would be met with an equally rational and practical response from the Nigerian government, but here we are, one week later with no real progress in sight. Instead, peaceful protests are being met with violence.

This pro-SARS movement which is quickly turning ugly began yesterday when a group of hoodlums allegedly given the sum of ₦1,500 each, disrupted the peaceful protests at Berger Bridge Abuja. Fortunately, the thugs were overpowered and handed to the police.

Similarly in Lagos, touts have stormed the Alausa protest and looked to scare away protesters, but they too were overwhelmed by the number of protesters.

However, said anarchic events have resumed today as touts yet again stormed the Alausa protests. These touts are reported to be even more aggressive than they were yesterday and some disturbing reports have surfaced.

Today, they are said to be armed and dangerous, and they don’t seem to be pulling any punches.

The attacks today are particularly troubling, seeing as these touts arrived in what looks to be official vehicles. According to eyewitnesses, hundreds of men conveyed in about 20 buses disrupted the Alausa protest and in one breath began to inflict harm on the protesters.

They looked to be organised, well oriented and resolved. This has caused people to reiterate one name: MC Oluomo, linking him to the attacks. While nothing is confirmed yet, many people are suggesting that these touts can only act on the orders of the man.

Also, people on Twitter have noted that police officers were largely absent from the vicinity, unlike the previous day, and other days before, which seems to suggest foul play. When police officers were eventually spotted, they looked disinterested in interfering, they simply stood by and did nothing.

Protesters are reported to have been harassed, stabbed and beaten with sticks and the protest in Alausa momentarily seemed to be in complete disarray. However, the attacks today, much like yesterday have failed to deter the movement and protesters in Alausa are back in numbers, refusing to surrender their fundamental rights.

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