EndSARS began irresponsible protests in Nigeria, says Daniel Bwala

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Daniel Bwala, has described the #EndSARS protest as the beginning and foundation of “irresponsible protesting” in Nigeria.

Recall that the #EndSARS movement, which lasted over 14 days in 2020 across major Nigerian cities, demanded the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, a division of the Nigerian police known for its brutality, extrajudicial killings, and corruption.

The protest, which initially began as a social media campaign, escalated dramatically, taking a tragic turn on October 20, 2020, when Nigerian security forces allegedly opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at the Lekki Toll Gate, sparking global outrage and widespread denials from the government

Speaking on the incident during a Wednesday morning programme on News Central Television, Bwala stated that the #EndSARS protest marked the onset of irresponsible protesting in the country, arguing that prior protests had been organised, unlike #EndSARS, which lacked structure.

Bwala acknowledged the mishandling by law enforcement during the protest, noting that security operatives were trying to maintain law and order.

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“You want to shut down law and order in the country. There is no police anywhere in the world that will close their eyes to that fact. ’#EndSARS was the beginning and the foundation of irresponsible protesting. 

“Before #EndSARS, all the protests that we had in the country were organised. That’s why they were called organised protests.

“But the government didn’t shut down the protesters. However, there were misadventures by law enforcement, and I admit that. 

‘’That’s why a panel was formed to investigate, and it released its findings. But many of the subsequent reports were based on fake news, particularly from CNN, which exaggerated several aspects of the story,” the presidential aide said.