#EndSARS: Stop Murderous Officers Or Face Nationwide Revolt, Nigerians Tell President Buhari

Nigerians on Twitter have warned President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the harassment of young people by officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad or face a nationwide revolt.

The demand comes after SARS officers in Osogbo, Osun State, chased two young boys to their death in an attempt to extort them.

SARS has a long history of brutality, harassing well-dressed young Nigerians and incriminating them by planting evidence in a bid to extort them. 

Despite these excesses and numerous protest by Nigerians, the special squad mandated to respond to robbery incident has been allowed to carry out violations unchecked.

Rights group, Amnesty International, in a tweet accused the officers of getting rich through brutality.

Lecturer, Dipo Awojide, wondered why the Nigerian Government was allowing “murderers” and “extortionists” waste young lives.

He said, “Criminals, extortionists and murderers handed guns by the state, wasting young lives, extorting citizens and openly stealing from people they should be protecting. Such absurdity. #EndSARS

Love Dapsi @ifedapsi said, “Special Armed robbery squad. Killers in unform. They come to steal, to kill and to destroy. Tell them to face bandits, Boko Haram, kidnappers, they won't. They only see innocent, unarmed defenceless Nigerians and their blood pressure will rise. God will punish all you #EndSARS.”

A few other Nigerians narrated their personal ordeal in the hand of SARS officers, who harassed them for no reason.

Omolola Omo Ologo @Uncle_Scholes said, “Dem hold me for trouser like say I be thief. It wasn't funny because if you know Ojota bus stop then, you would know there is a market close by. They roughed me up in front of only God knows how many people. I told them to be gentle with me, say I be youth corp member.#EndSARS

“It was like I was talking to deaf people. They collected my bag and searched, when they saw the laptop, they were so sure they hit jackpot! They shouted at me, unlock this laptop you fraudster. At that point I knew I had won. I unlocked it, they started to search for what was not missing, they checked and checked and found nothing. All they saw was my sister and mum's photos.”

Another Twitter user, @ProsperSouth said, “The kind harassment police in Delta State Asaba did to me today without seeing anything in my hand. Imagine a policeman saying he is going to tell them in station that am a cultist so they can damage my body that how can I dress well like this.”

Yugo @Smog20 narrated his recent experience, saying, “On my way home yesterday from the market were I went to buy stuffs to cook eguisi soup, they stopped the keke that was carrying me home at Geneva Junction, Awka, and started questioning me like I'm a common convicted criminal already...i feared for my life. #EndSARS.”

EndSARS advocate, Según Awosanya, warned that Nigerians would revolt in no time if the rights violations do not end.

He said, “Shutdown the terrorist squads preying on the innocent for ransom now. We may have to brace ourselves for a nationwide revolt against the police generally if the IGP fails to address this madness effective immediately. Shutdown all the tactical squads for overhaul. #EndSARS

“President @MBuhari is aware of the impunity of the @PoliceNG and the Presidency knows that the officers including the IGP are victims in the system being blamed for what they can’t fix. A single order from the President can shut down the cancer but do our lives matter? #EndSARS.”