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ABUJA LOCKDOWN: A LIVING HELL

We have  little or no  electricity suppl y here, no running water in the houses; w e don't have money to buy food any more... Read more ...

piątek, 30 października 2020

#EndSARS vol.7 - OUR GOVERNMENT KILLS US – THE MASSACRE AT THE LEKKI TOLL GATE IN LAGOS


An interview with Tunde Akanbi - 38 years old farmer


#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youths
A paceful protest or a civil rebellion?
October 2020 
vol. 7

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OUR GOVERNMENT KILLS US – THE MASSACRE AT THE LEKKI TOLL GATE IN LAGOS




CECYLIA BUCZKO:
Was it safe to attend the protest?



TUNDE AKANBI: 

At the beginning it was very safe. After a week of protests the Nigerian army has issued a warning to end campaigns in order to avoid any troubles. Also the government stated that the protests in Abuja were not safe according to the need of keeping social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic which simply suggested that the campaigns were illegal. 


Was the coronavirus the only danger which threatened you?


Sadly not. Later somehow everything started to go wrong. First the protest was hijacked by hoodlums and the riots started. Then there were some attacks on police stations and government places. On 20th October the curfew in Lagos was declared. And on that day exactly, just two hours after the curfew began the worst happened and people were shot by the uniform men. As a matter of fact, the violence, killing of Police and burning of Police stations started after the military opened fire on peaceful protesters on the 20th October. It was that singular act that triggered the violence amongst protesters and the government seized the opportunity to involve hoodlums and their political thugs to cause more unrest in the society. This makes it possible for the government to label the peaceful protesters as bad and as a yardstick for the military to start killing unarmed civilians. 


How did it come?


The protesters blocked the Lekki toll gate in Lagos to make it impossible for cars to use the motorway. It was still just a part of a peaceful protest, nobody wanted any troubles. By some time all the lights were turned off and it got totally dark. People stood there or sat on the ground wrapped in the green and white national Nigeria flags. To unite and show their engagement they started to sing the national anthem. And then, unexpectedly, they were fired by the platoon of several armed men. It was a shock for protesters who intended to run a peaceful protest. 


#EndSARS protest
The protesters at the Lagos Lekki toll gate (Lailasnews.com)


Did anybody died during the fire?


Dozens or so of people were hit and the chaos started within the crowd as peaceful protesters were running for safety, while others were calling for help. Some of them were taken to the hospital, but some died there. Their bodies were lying on the ground covered in green and white flags stained with blood. 


Who shot the protesters? 


It is unclear who opened fire. Of course the Nigerian army, the police and the Nigerian government denied being responsible for that massacre. But all the world got known about what happened, the videos and pictures are around the world shared on Facebook and Twitter. 


What was the result of the protesters killings?


That day changed everything and also the protest totally changed. The curfew was introduced in several states and the protesters started to act in grievance full of regret towards the government who, in their opinion, betrayed them. People feel sold out and ask themselves: who was behind the massacre in Lekki? Every next day of the ongoing protest was marked with a new postulate – make the Nigerian president to resign and make the Nigerian government to end bad country ruling and improve poor economic conditions. It was no longer just a protest, it felt like a war. And it became terrifying. 


Did your government explain who was responsible for shooting the protesters?


On 22nd October at exactly 19:00, the Nigerian President addressed the nation via a live broadcast to end the protest and promised to verify the police work (SARS was already ended) and consider the social changes. But he didn’t mention the shooting carried out by the military on protesters in Lagos which led to global condemnation and criticism. The speech was more like a threat to the citizens rather than an appeal.


What was the protesters reaction?


This made us so disappointed and regretful. All our effort, all the protest, it seemed to be a vain bid. But even so we were still at our posts and the protest is still carried on. It has already changed our country, I mean the people's awareness of what is important here and that we young people really care for our country. Never before had we had such a loud voice as we have it now in social media all around the world. We pray the changes would come and our government would start to upgrade our country and make it safe to live here for us and our children.


#EndSARS protest
Wounded at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos (REUTERS)

The other parts of the article you can read here:

#EndSARS vol.6 - THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE IS STRONGER THAN THE PEOPLE IN POWER


An interview with Kenneth Asuenimen - 26 years old graduate of Biochemistry (Unemployed)


#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youths
A paceful protest or a civil rebellion?
October 2020 
vol. 6

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THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE IS STRONGER THAN THE PEOPLE IN POWER



CECYLIA BUCZKO:
The symbol of what is the #EndSARS protest?



KENNETH ASUENIMEN: 

It is a sign of the largest young population in Africa having been woken up. The generation who is calling for reform of their country which hasn’t had good governance yet since getting the independence 60 years ago. The EndSARS protesters are people with awakened vision and drive for a better motherland that we can be proud of. We have come to realise that; ‘’HOW CAN NIGERIA BE SO RICH IN NATURAL RESOURCES AND YET VERY POOR IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND BASIC AMENITIES?’’


Soon after the protests started your president promised to end SARS. Didn’t you consider to stop the protests?


We carried out our protest despite the president’s announcement about SARS disbandment. We simply couldn’t believe him, we were sure, the SARS is still deployed on their posts in the roads. Later we got to know that the SARS unit was dissolved and the officers assigned to other units within the Police Force. As if that was not enough, the Inspector General of Police came out and said he had formed a new unit called SWAT: ‘’The Special Weapons and Tactics team.’’How would we have hope that they wouldn’t brutalise us like SARS did? We wanted to protest against not only SARS but all the police brutality and call for justice of those ones who killed or tortured our brothers and sisters. In a sane country, the government wouldn’t wait for the citizens to protest against SARS killing of innocent people before coming on air to address the issue. So we weren’t convinced at all hence we continued the protest peacefully.



#EndSARS protest
(Reuters)


Were there other postulates aside from ending SARS?


Yes, the demonstrations against SARS turned against the bad social politic and a bad government. There were many postulates to call for. Most of us young people have never experienced steady electricity in our lives, we didn’t have free education and had to struggle a lot to finish our universities. Having a better life was just a part of our demands. I was so engaged and I really wanted to fight for a better Nigeria. I don’t want my kids to endure and suffer the economic hardship of this country due to bad governmental policies and looting of our common wealth. So as a youth, we were motivated by that to demand change for a better Nigeria. Our parents failed to fight for their human rights and rights as a citizen of Nigeria that is why we are still suffering today. So we must change that for the generation unborn.


Did you feel the government wants to hear from you?


There is a lot of mistrust between the protesters and the government here in Nigeria, we simply don’t trust them. That’s why nobody believes in their empty words. But all the government said gave us the impression that they were listening to us, even to a small degree, so maybe they are under the pressure of the protests. We realised it was also a great way to impose our government to make good changes in the country, make good roads, stop poverty, raise the public salaries. There is so much to correct and improve. 


What do you expect from the government to do?


We young people dream about nothing but living in a safe and good Nigeria. I want to live in a country where nobody kills you on the road and the police are to make you feel safe – not terrified, where the electricity is always on and you don’t have an impression your country was civilizational far beyond all the world… So with such postulates the campaigns are still carried on and I am a part of it. I want better Nigeria for me and my children.


#EndSARS protest
(BBC)


The other parts of the article you can read here:

Written by: Cecylia Buczko

Cecylia Buczko
Cecylia Buczko


#EndSARS vol.5 - HOW THE PEACEFUL PROTEST WAS HIJACKED BY HOODLUMS


An interview with Ahmed Yusuf - 25 years old student of agriculture


#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youths
A paceful protest or a civil rebellion?
October 2020 
vol. 5

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HOW THE PEACEFUL PROTEST WAS HIJACKED BY HOODLUMS



CECYLIA BUCZKO: 
Why did you attend the protest?




AHMED YUSUF: 


I love my country but I am not happy with the government, that’s why I attended the protest. It seemed we: as a large group of protesters, had power to get some changes.

Were there any results of the protest?


10th October president Buhari ensured the nation that he wanted to reform the police force and put into justice each police officer who abused their power. Also the SARS were banned from setting up the roadblocks and stopping cars and searching people. They were obliged to wear uniforms. The Inspector General of the police promised that the unit was to be investigated.

Weren’t you satisfied with what the President announced?


We just didn’t believe him. That’s only an empty promise as always. They tried to do this in the past without any result. That’s why we wanted the SARS unit of the Nigeria Police Force not to be reformed, but to be disbanded and dissolved.


#EndSARS protest

Uniform men fired the protesters in the commercial hub of Lagos (EPA)


How much was your involvement in the campaign?


We were very engaged in the protest, it inflamed our emotions. We identified ourselves with all the young people in Nigeria who were wrongly profiled by the SARS as the criminals or scammers and sentenced to prison or even killed. We heard many testimonies of people who were hurt or whose family members were killed. We were fully engaged until the protest was hijacked by mobs. Then things just started going bad.

How did it happen?


I am sure our authorities sponsored the armed thugs to promote violence during the campaigns. We were outraged – it was clear that after brutally assaulting some policemen, their police stations or destroying the cars, the government was going to send the military to quell the protests. And they would be totally justified. And this just happened.

Did your government command the army to fire the protest?


Yes, they did. First young protesters were fired at the Lagos Lekki toll gate on the night 20th October and just a day later uniformed soldiers and the police started to shoot several protesters in the commercial hub of Lagos and the shopping centre was ablazed.

Did anyone react?


Some politicians and celebrities all around the world have condemned the shooting as a crime and as an act against humanitarian action, they addressed the president to stop killing youths and it was really nice. We felt a little conformed.

Did you continue taking part in the protest?


No, I didn’t. After hijacking the protest by hoodlums and some acts of violence here and there I lost track of the importance of the protest. I just didn’t want to attend any act of ferocity. I didn’t want to be a part of what we were protesting against – the brutality – the same we hated so much in the SARS behavior. The protesters were organised as peaceful and hopeful for the future of their country. But sadly this is no more.


#EndSARS protest
Protesters in Lagos built barricades, blocking roads in Nigeria’s commercial hub (REUTERS)



Cecylia Buczko, #EndSARS protest
Cecylia Buczko


#EndSARS vol.4 - HAVING WHITE FRIENDS MAKES YOU A SCAMMER


An interview with Ideye Rachid - 29 years old water vendor


#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youths
A paceful protest or a civil rebellion?
October 2020 
vol. 4

The previous interview                                                     The next interview



HAVING WHITE FRIENDS MAKES YOU A SCAMMER



CECYLIA BUCZKO: 
How possible is SARS to stop your car when you're travelling?



IDEYE RACHID: 

Mind you, is it enough reason for you to be arrested unlawfully if SARS sees you in a car driving, and they will take it for granted that you live beyond your means. Then they will harass you and extort money from you threatening you unless you pay. If not, they will arrest you as an internet scammer. We all young people pay the tribute of our lives for the statistics which claim that most of the young people in Nigeria are lazy, they don’t want to work and instead they want to get easy money to scam people. A government that criticises his youth and speaks badly of them, is that a good government? Nigeria youths are the hardest set of individuals. Even with the bad economic policies we still strive to be innovative and work hard to meet daily targets. We do all manner of menial jobs to survive.


Who are the Internet scammers?


They don’t do any regular work, just stay at home and spend all day talking with people online. They look for a person abroad whom they try to make friends with and then tight the bonds gradually. And later start asking for money at the excuses of travelling to Europe to work hard, the hospital treatment, paying the education fee, etc. And all of this is just a part of a fake life of a scammer, who thanks to money people sent him can afford to buy a good smartphone or laptop or even a car.


#EndSARS protest
(Channels TV)


Is owning an electronic device or a car an offence?


Not really but it is just enough to be arrested by SARS who just take it for sure that such a person is a fraudster. And you know, I have friends in Europe who I have known for quite a long time. So always when I am travelling I have to delete all the conversations with them. I just keep it in my mind and in my heart but deleting them always makes me sad. However if I have another alternative I would have used it other than deleting conversations with friends abroad. Even if they see the photo of a white man or woman in your phone, they would tag you a fraudster. It is that bad.


I assume your conversations are private. Aren't they?


Look, this is always bad when the SARS stop your car. They are armed, so you can’t object to giving them your smartphone if they demand this. You can’t refuse unless you want to be beaten or arrested or even killed. They check your conversations in all the social media, they read what you write to others. If they found any conversations with white people, any photos of them, they would arrest you on a charge of being a cyber-criminal even if none of the conversations is deceitful.


Is this just a way used by SARS to select the criminals in your country?


Do you think the real scammers don’t delete their conversations? They are even more careful. The way SARS treats us is unjust and brutal. I know there are many fraudsters in my country but I am not one of them, I am not a Yahoo-Boy(as famously called in Nigeria.) But I have to keep all the means of precaution if I want to be free and alive. It is so sad. How would you feel if you had to delete your conversations or photos with friends who are close to you?


#EndSARS protest
(EPA)


The other parts of the article you can read here:


Written by: Cecylia Buczko

Cecylia Buczko, #EndSARS
Cecylia Buczko


czwartek, 29 października 2020

#EndSARS vol.3 - AN UNIFORM DOESN’T MAKE YOU A GOOD SOLDIER


An interview with James Ochuko - 34 years old graduate of civil engineering (unemployed)


#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youths
A paceful protest or a civil rebellion?
October 2020
vol. 3

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vol.1 vol.2 vol.3 vol.4 vol.5 vol.6 vol.7 vol.8




A UNIFORM DOESN’T MAKE YOU A GOOD SOLDIER




CECYLIA BUCZKO:
What does a uniform mean for you?



JAMES OCHUKO: 

A uniform is a symbol of good behaviour, isn’t it? A man who wears a uniform should be an example for others, we learn this while attending the scouts group as children. Meanwhile the Nigerian police have a very bad reputation, especially the SARS.


Do you mean SARS bring disgrace to their uniforms?


They hardly ever wear it, you rather see them dressed like bandits on the road. But yes, they do, when it comes to their behaviour... They are famous for not respecting people, showing brutality, forcing bribes. But these are only the slightest accusations. Many people report unjust arrests by SARS, torturing people, beating or shooting their fellow passengers.


#EndSARS protest
(The Sun Nigeria)


Why are the young people unjustly arrested by SARS?


There is a high rate of unemployment in Nigeria. Most of the young people don’t have a permanent job so they are especially liable to be arrested by SARS who are looking for the cyber-criminals. It is a commonly spread image of a Nigerian fraudster who makes their living by scamming naïve white people talking with them via the Internet and asking them to send money.


Don’t you agree the cyber-criminals should be arrested?


I totally agree they should be but it is unacceptable to treat each young person as they were villains, that's a totally wrong attitude. We young people often face the Police, SARS especially, controlling us and arresting only because of slight details which seem to be suspicious for them. But once we are arrested, even if we prove our innocence, it is getting very difficult for us to get out of their hands and everything just gets hectic.


Is it not enough to release you when there is no evidence of you being a fraudster? 


Sadly not. When they can’t find any proof to detain us they start forcing us to pay a bribe to be freed, they are even capable of using violence, threatening and torturing included, even killing…. That’s how some uniform men behave here. This is unacceptable…. That’s why most of the protesters are the young people. They feel not safe in their country and are bound and determined to make our government end SARS.


#EndSARS protest
(Twitter - look here)


The other parts of the article you can read here:


Written by: Cecylia Buczko

#EndSARS protest
Cecylia Buczko






#EndSARS vol.2 - IT WAS A MODERN PROTEST WHICH STARTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA


An interview with Bola Ishiola - 53 years old Businessman.


#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youths
A paceful protest or a civil rebellion?
October 2020
vol. 2.

The previous interview                        The next interview


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.


(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.


(Reuters – people run from the tear gas spread in Abuja)
(Reuters – people run from the tear gas spread in Abuja)



#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youths A paceful protest or a civil rebellion? October 2020
Cecylia Buczko


#EndSARS vol.1. NIGERIA AT 60 - WAS SHE WORTH CELEBRATING?


An interview with Andrew Chisom 28 years old retailer


(It is the first out of 8 interviews of the #EndSARS series)

#EndSARS campaign of the Nigerian youths
A paceful protest or a civil rebellion? October 2020 
vol. 1






NIGERIA AT 60 - WAS SHE WORTH CELEBRATING?



CECYLIA BUCZKO: 
How much the Independence Day influenced the #EndSARS protests?



ANDREW CHISOM:

I think it had a great impact on everything that happened next. Actually the protests began on 1st October, 2020. It is the 60th Independence Day since our country was created. I had the day off work so I went out without hurrying to meet my friends. However, we couldn’t celebrate, we just didn’t feel in such a mood…


What made you so sad?


The everyday sight from the window of a bus just made us realise that the country isn't developing. It was mud and rubbish everywhere. Few days ago we could see children waiting at the bus stop. There was a large paddle in the place where the bus was supposed to stop. They couldn’t get there dry-shod so they were climbing the fence to not mess their shoes and clothes. Why do our children have to climb like animals? Is making a good road really such a big deal?

Is there anything else in your country in reality you cannot accept?


The reality is so bad here for everyone. Young people can’t get a good job even if they have a university degree. Fathers and mothers work overtime to pay for their children's education. Many people still die of hunger or bad healthcare service. There is a lot of violence here not only from the bandits who can rob your house but also from the police out of which the SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) had the worst fame.

Why do you hate them so much?


Simply because of their attitude toward every young person. If they come across anyone, they don't hesitate to use violence. If you were well-dressed, drove a car and had a nice smartphone they might suspect you are an Internet scammer. After they arrested you, they could beat you or even shoot you if you do not give them a bribe.

Corruption is very bad, it is a crime to be honest.


That’s our country's reality. That’s why on that day; the 60th birthday of our country, we realised that the current Nigeria is not worth celebrating. This is a country without any future which has to be changed. No wonder few days later, the #EndSARS demonstrations started.


Reuters,
(Reuters)

Did you know ...?
Nigeria gained her independence on October 1, 1960, but previously was one of the British colonies in West Africa. Currently, the country is a federation, but its governance style resembles a police state.

What is a police state? Read here


Nigeria at 60 - was she worth celebrating?
Cecylia Buczko