Despite the announcement of the dissolution of the highly contested police unit, young people took to the streets again on Monday 13 October in Nigeria, forcing President Muhammadu Buhari to speak for the first time since the start of this campaign. movement.
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as reported from Lagos,
The notice of dissolution of SARS, this specialized police unit accused of arbitrary arrests, torture and even extrajudicial killings did not reassure the protesters in Nigeria. They mobilized again this Monday in Lagos, Abuja and other regions of the country. At dawn, hundreds of young people stormed the Lekki road gate, on one of the capital’s main arteries, massaging on the huge pillars, scaling metal structures or standing in the middle of the road. .
“They always tell us ‘we have to change, we want to change’, but they think we are not serious. That’s what we’re here for. It is the biggest toll in Lagos and every day it brings them a lot of money. So we decided that no one today would pass here today, that they would not earn anything. That way, they will understand that we are very serious, ”explains one woman.
A first step
In the afternoon, President Muhammadu Buhari finally spoke for the first time since the start of this protest movement against police violence. “The dismantling of the anti-theft group is only the first step in our commitment to a comprehensive police reform to ensure that the police’s first duty is to protect the lives of our fellow citizens,” the Head of State promised.
But it’s still too little for Rume and his friends who listened to his speech on their cell phones. “His answer is a parade. We want more than that. This is the start of a great revolution because we young Nigerians are suffering! We need good governance, we need electricity, we want a total reform of the system. ”
Hours after the Nigerian president’s statement, a protester was killed by police in the Surulere district of Lagos, which escalated the tension.
