NIGERIA: #EndSARS

Nigeria was home to Africa’s biggest movement against police abuses. A major wave of protests erupted in October, calling for the abolition of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), under the banner of #EndSARS. The protests were sparked by the sharing of an online video showing SARS officers dragging two men out onto the street and shooting one of them. The rapid spread of the video triggered an avalanche of people’s stories of harassment and brutality by SARS officers. The parallels and currents of inspiration with the protests in the USA and around the world were clear: if Black lives matter, then they need to matter in Black-majority countries.