An interview with Bola Ishiola - 53 years old Businessman.
#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youthsA paceful protest or a civil rebellion?October 2020 vol. 2.
IT WAS A MODERN PROTEST WHICH STARTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA
CECYLIA BUCZKO:
When did the protest start?
BOLA ISHIOLA:
I think the protest started online just about our Independence Day when all the young people felt the country was not worth celebrating, but real demonstrations of crowded people started on 8th October in Abuja and Lagos actually. It was a modern protest – it rose out of the virtual campaigns against the abuse of people by SARS.How come online protest became real?
It was the sign of the solidarity of young people who wanted Nigeria to be changed for their better future. There was no organised leadership, only people called for running campaigns on social media and also the need of standing together on behalf of all the youths kept us together.
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| (Al Jazeera) read here |
What was the extent of the protest?
At the beginning there were just the gatherings of several people here and there. But on 9th October the groups of protesters got larger and louder. They had the placards with slogans: End SARS, End Police Brutality.
What made the campaigns so popular?
Some volunteers gave the testimonies of what happened to their family members who were arrested by SARS. Not only Nigerians but also all the world could listen to them as the videos spread around the Internet like a wildfire. Unlawful arrests, tortures, murders, corruption, accepting bribes – those are only some of the accusations thrown by Nigerians against the SARS.
How come the peaceful protest turned into violence?
Initially the protests were peaceful, but on 9th October the police fired tear gas against the protesters in the capital city, some of the people were beaten and some were arrested. It was the beginning of panic. There was absolutely no reason to shoot the tear gas towards the unarmed people – if they hadn’t done it maybe the protests would have calmed down.
Was it your government who gave such an order?
Do you ask me who is controlling the Nigerian police? Later, even after the president's announcement about the SARS disbandment they pulled two men out of a hotel in Lagos into the street and shot one of them. That’s why the protests still carried on.
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| (Reuters – people run from the tear gas spread in Abuja) |
Part 2 - IT WAS A MODERN PROTEST WHICH STARTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Part 5 - HOW THE PEACEFUL PROTEST WAS HIJACKED BY HOODLUMS?
Part 6 - THE POWER OF PEOPLE IS STRONGER THAN THE PEOPLE IN POWER
Part 7 - OUR GOVERNMENT KILLS US – THE MASSACRE AT THE LEKKI TOLL GATE IN LAGOS
Part 8 - IT WAS NEVER MORE DANGEROUS TO BE A POLICEMAN HERE
Written by: Cecylia Buczko
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| Cecylia Buczko |
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