Will #EndSARS protesters in Nigeria see justice?

 

A year on from the social media-driven #EndSARS protests in Nigeria that brought the disbandment of a hated police unit, activists are still demanding wider police reform while also seeking justice for demonstrators who say they came under fire from security forces. 

Hundreds of people joined rallies in Lagos and other cities on October 20 to mark a year since peaceful protesters were fired on by security forces at the Lekki toll gate, according to multiple witnesses. At least 12 people were killed in the attack. Nigeria’s information minister insists no such shooting occurred. 

Amnesty International says dozens more people were killed by police in other protests in Nigerian cities in October 2020 calling for the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to be dissolved. 

The demonstrations were sparked by news that SARS officers in Ughelli had shot a young man before taking his car. At the height of the protests the government led by President Muhammadu Buhari demobilised SARS, whose officers had been accused of abuses ranging from arbitrary arrest and extortion to torture and extrajudicial killings. 

Activists remained on the streets for days afterwards, demanding that lawless officers be prosecuted while also calling for wider improvements to the police and other security agencies. In this episode of The Stream we’ll hear from activists still pushing for justice and police reform a year on from the landmark #EndSARS protests.

Video - Nigerian authorities hunt down escaped prisoners

 

Authorities in Nigeria are stepping up efforts to recapture prisoners who were aided to escape after an attack by gunmen. The gunmen attacked a jail in Nigeria's Oyo State late on Friday. Prison officials say the attackers gained entry to the prison yard by blasting the walls with dynamite.After an exchange of gunfire with prison officers, they freed over 800 inmates by force.

Video - Nigeria's Super Eagles bounce back after shock defeat

Nigeria's Super Eagles defeated the Wild Beasts of Central African Republic by two goals to nil in their reverse fixture of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which took place in Douala, Cameroon. First-half goals from defender Leon Balogun and striker Victor Osimhen were enough to avenge Nigeria's shock loss to the C-A-R in the first leg. CGTN's Deji Bademosi has more.

Gunmen kill at least 43 in northern Nigeria

Gunmen killed at least 43 people in an attack in northern Nigeria's Sokoto state, the governor's office said on Monday.

The assault began at a weekly market in Goronyo on Sunday and continued into Monday morning, Sokoto Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said in a statement.

Gunmen across northwestern Nigeria have killed scores of people and kidnapped hundreds more for ransom over the past year in a security crisis that the government is trying to tackle via communications blackouts, military operations and stepped up policing.

Iliyasu Abba, a local resident and trader, told Reuters that there were 60 bodies at Goronyo General Hospital mortuary and that others sustained injuries while escaping.

"The gunmen stormed the market as it was crowded with shoppers and traders," he said.

The men were "shooting sporadically on us after they surrounded the market firing at every direction killing people."

Abba said the gunmen had at least initially overpowered police who tried to intervene. A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The government ordered shut all telephone and internet services in the whole of Zamfara state in early September, a blackout later extended to parts of Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna states as military operations intensified.

Nigeria's top general said last week the telecoms blackout would be maintained because it was helping the armed forces crack down on the bandits. But the closure has made it hard to know what is happening in the affected areas, and has disrupted daily life and business for millions.

Tambuwal requested more security forces in Sokoto and the deployment of more resources. 

Reuters

Video - Nigeria launches sweeping measures to contain violence

 

Nigeria’s government has announced sweeping measures it hopes will help contain worsening attacks by armed groups in the north. Markets and the transportation of certain goods have been banned and communication services cut. But as days run into weeks, some citizens are getting desperate. Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports from Kaduna.