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Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram carry the torch in the defense of social justice; trying to draw attention to and rebuke unequal treatment and social inequalities. Instagram and Twitter are full of posts and user stories spreading social justice causes, and it’s the first place many learn about these issues and movements. One of the most recent large-scale Instagram movements to come to light is the “End SARS” movement in Nigeria. Like what we saw in Ethiopia, we can see again that social media takes advantage of the least developed but fastest growing area in the world.
So what is this “End to SARS” all about?
The Nigerian SARS (Special Anti-Theft Squad), not to be confused with viral respiratory SARS, is a police unit to prevent robberies, vehicle theft and other miscellaneous illegal activities. As we have seen in the United States, with great power comes great responsibility, and people are upset that the police abuse their power in some cases. SARS has been accused of brutality, illegal searches and seizures and, in extreme cases, rape and murder.
It is important and relevant to note that Nigeria has one of the ten highest crime rates in the world, consisting mainly of robberies, drugs, and street violence. SARS was implemented to prevent rampant crime in all Nigerian cities. There is an obvious need for law enforcement in the country, but it is prone to corruption due to widespread poverty and lack of accountability and training.
SARS was denounced in 2017 for illegal detentions and extortion that led to protests across Nigeria. In October 2020, there was a resurgence of the movement as people became increasingly frustrated with the SARS police unit.
There were many more cases that blew people up, but like the Hachalu Hundessa murder in Ethiopia, a promising popular musician was killed (in this case by a SARS unit). This, among other events, caused young people, many celebrities and people from neighboring countries to explode with excitement. Tensions grew, people on both sides were killed, government and private buildings were burned down, and young people played an important role in this.
Like here in the states, young people commit most of these crimes and are more likely to be affiliated with gangs. Through social media, Nigerian teens have made it known that they feel identified with SARS by the way they look, dress, and the things they own. This social media awareness trend exists all over the world, and a lot of it is for the better, but it also does a very good job of stoking the fire through the telephone game that is Twitter, Instagram, whatever.
Nigeria is one of the most isolated countries; being one of the most difficult places for visitors to obtain visas to enter. Through these social media apps, the country’s youth have broken down these walls of solidarity a bit and paved the way for outsiders to hear the voices of Nigeria. It is unlike anything the country and much of Africa have seen before.
The protesters have been shot and arrested, and the videos have been shared for the world to see, sparking protests and clashes between civilians and governments. The government’s response to the complaint and the violence was not lenient.
Supporters of the “End SARS” movement had their bank accounts seized and suspended to prevent them from accessing their funds. There are legitimate financial and physical implications of supporting this cause. Active supporters of “End SARS” have been considered terrorists, due to the amount of violence that occurred in October, and de facto as funders of terrorism.
Drawing attention to the problems is the first step, but the movement has called for legitimate reforms.
Requests for retraining, evaluations, and better pay for SARS members, as well as the complete dissolution of the special unit, have been submitted to the government. The Nigerian police eventually disbanded the unit, but lack of confidence that the government will comply with people’s requests remains.
Social media plays such an important role in the way we gather news, form opinions, and engage with others. For centuries, repressing people was as simple as not publishing what they had to say. For the masses now, it’s as easy as tweeting or clicking the share button, and third world countries are no exception. Nigeria is an old-fashioned country that is definitely rough around the edges, and the young people there have formed a coalition to expose their frustrations over the progressive outlets of social media apps. This trend is not over and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world follows suit.
