What’s happening in Nigeria right now?

This is a post by Moyosoreoluwa about what is happening in Nigeria. “I have written this article in hopes of bringing awareness to the current state of unrest, violence and injustice prevalent in my country at the moment”

⚠️TW: mentions of violence etc

“I have written this article in hopes of bringing awareness to the current state of unrest, violence and injustice prevalent in my country at the moment”

I’m Nigerian and honestly, I have never seen myself as patriotic as I’m sure many others too do not. Everyone is all about survival, there’s no unity. We are all divided.

About three weeks ago, the young people of Nigeria displayed an unprecedented spirit of unity and togetherness unlike any other I’ve ever seen in my country and I was proud to say “I’m Nigerian” I am 19 years old and that was the first time in my life that I was proud to be Nigerian. It all started with the ENDSARS Movement. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad has been a menace in my country for years. They have harassed, assaulted, cheated and used their position of power to oppress and mistreat the people of my country, specifically targeting the young people of the country.

A lot of people have been killed by them, parents missing their children never to be found again.. My brother was a victim of their mistreatment and harassment, fortunately, he was one of the lucky ones to get away from them. Not everyone is that lucky, as proven in the video that started the protests. A video of them killing a young guy and then driving away with his car spurred people into action. It started with online calls for justice and an end to SARS. Many people came forward telling their stories online and showing proof of their corrupt practices.

Unfortunately, the cries went unheard by Nigeria’s government, it was particularly frustrating when the President Buhari refused to comment on the cries of the people he’s meant to serve and protect, but he was able to wish President Trump on his health on twitter. It felt like he was sending the message “I hear your complains but I’m deliberating refusing to give priority to them”. Soon, protesters took to the streets, calling for a change, for an end to the killing of youths and their mistreatment by SARS. I never thought there would come a day that the people in my country would be united in such a way and as I said earlier, I was proud, I am proud. I was amazed by such show of solidarity, impressed that they managed to keep it peaceful. Unlike before, Nigerians refused to back down until a change was seen, an action taken and not just the empty promises of a government that has lied to us for years. It was inspiring.

The government cannot deny the fact that they were taken aback, surprised that we had finally chosen to speak out and fight back, rather than just accepting the status quo as we’ve always done in the past. Perhaps that is the reason why they sought to silence us through the ruthless and unjust killing of protesting youths on the 20th October, 2020.

Peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Bridge were inhumanely gunned down by our own soldiers, the very people who are meant to protect us. After taking down the CCTV cameras earlier in the day, it is obvious that it was a premeditated attack on the peaceful protesters. They disregarded the Nigerian flag and shot at innocent people, but not before turning off the streets lights, a tactic to hide their cruel, criminal and sinful acts. All that could be heard were the gunshots, people singing the National Anthem, people
trying to take cover, aiding injured people. At the end of it all, there were the dead and injured all over the place. What’s worse? President Buhari made a speech and failed to comment on the unjust and ruthless killings.

It is heart wrenching to see the level of cruelty displayed to us by the government that is meant to represent Nigeria. The have refused to take responsibility for their actions, choosing instead to deny the attacks despite the number of irrefutable proof. Although it seems as though nothing has changed yet, that’s fine because as John Paul Jones once said “I have not yet begun to fight” He’s right, we have not yet begun to fight, our eyes have been awakened, our mouths opened and we shall never be silenced again. The deaths of our fellow comrades shall not be in vain.

For ways to help the people in Nigeria, click this link. The #EndSARS hashtag is being used on social media to keep people’s attention on this important issue. Thank you to Moyosoreoluwa for writing this article on such an important topic right now!

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