Nigerian Youths are calling for a serious reform while protesting for the end of the SARS taskforce. 

SARS, Special Anti-Robbery Squad now disbanded and recreated into SWAT was a force established to tackle crime such as robbery. Recently the officers have been accused of great injustice and the killings of innocent young lives. 

This has led to an uprising, with many youths from all over Nigeria protesting against the task force. 

Nigerian youths have said ‘enough is enough’ and are prepared to keep on protesting until the Nigerian Government achieves their demands. 

President Muhammadu Buhari released a video on Twitter saying: “The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reforms.” 

However, the Nigerian youth are not satisfied with the news arguing that this has been done four times already. 

SARS are known as the ‘masters of disguise,’ they do not wear uniform making it easier to target the young. 

“They claim they want to stop internet fraudsters. These guys are called yahoo yahoo guys in Nigeria, they want to stop them on the road, catch them, and put them in court,” said Esan Olabisi, an avid protestor in Lagos, Nigeria. 

However what protestors like Esan have noticed is that anybody with coloured hair or anybody who dresses urban they will allegedly stop and collect money. Therefore, doing the exact opposite of their duties.

“We were all wondering what is going on, this has been happening for so long and nobody is saying anything. But then recently there has been an uproar,” said Esan.

Fulani Kwajafa, the Founder of SARS has told the BBC that he feels sad and guilty about what the agency has become. 

The youths are using their voices from all over the world, either through a retweet or the raising of a placard. Many celebrities have also come to the aid, such as Nigerian superstars Davido and Wizkid, and American music artists Trey Songz and Kanye West. 

The protests had been peaceful until recently according to Esan Olabisi. “The police men started shooting at us with live bullets. I was in close range and the police man still shot.”

She explained that during the protests they are not holding anything dangerous, just placards made of cardboard or wood. 

On the other hand in London, protests have been much calmer. Roy Biakpara, a protestor from last week’s protest said: “Unlike in Nigeria, there was no fear of police shooting at us or using teargas on us. It was a legally registered protest. The police are as civil as you can imagine. We had it easier than they do in Nigeria, yet we fight the same cause.”

Retweets, likes, comments and shares have not stopped worldwide. Nigerian youth continue to hope for a new and safer Nigeria.