Bad Governance, #ENDSars Protest, and a Way Forward for Nigeria

Tamara White, Field Research Manager, Africa Center for Strategic Progress
twhite@africacfsp.org

Africa has been experiencing a wave of uprising recently that has brought attention to the consequences of bad governance. Governance and political leadership has been an area that the African continent has struggled with for quite some time. Since its “release” from colonization the continent has struggled with issues of exploitation, corruption, wars, and other destabilizing things. When it comes to governance in Nigeria, most say, it has been driven by self-interest. From not utilizing aid correctly to Boko Haram, most say that the Nigeria government does not have the interest of its citizens on its radar.

An analysis done by Akinola and Yagboyaju states that Nigeria fails in three major areas when it comes to governance and political leadership. These areas are security of lives and properties, promotion of the rule of law, and provision of visionary leadership.¹ All three of these areas can be seen in the issue of police brutality in Nigeria. More specifically, the recent #ENDSars movement has highlighted, again, the presence of bad governance and the urgent need for improvement in the country.

Ineffectiveness to Provide Security for the Lives and Properties of its Citizens

The ineffectiveness of the Nigerian state to provide security for the lives and properties of its citizens has led to the recent uprising known as the #ENDSars movement. This movement, led by youth, gained momentum after a video surfaced showing SARs officers killing a man. As a result, Nigerians all over the state have taken to the streets to demand the rights that they deserve.

What is SARs?

SARs is the Special Anti-Robbery Squad created in 1992, that was initially created to protect citizens from armed robberies and other serious crimes in the state.² This unit came at a time where Nigeria was ramped with robbers specifically in the Lagos and southern area of the state. Since its creation not only has it expanded to all 36 states of the country, it has also transformed into a unit that terrorizes, extorts, and harasses the citizens of Nigeria.

SARs has been most called out for the targeting and harassing of young Nigerian for having technology such as laptops, iPhones, etc. It is assumed that since these individuals have access to technology that they are committing acts of cybercrime. Nigeria has been fighting SARs since its creation with little to no action taken by the government. The Nigerian government has been known to disband SARs with empty promises of reform, only for the same incidents to happen repeatedly.

Failure to Promote the Rule of Law³

Since 2014, Amnesty International has documented human rights violations by SARS. In a detailed report by Amnesty International a pattern of abuse by SARS officers was highlighted as well as the general lack of accountability from the Nigerian government. When it comes to investigating police brutality, there have been few cases investigated and officers are rarely charged for the egregious actions. Amnesty International has documented at least 82 cases of torture, illtreatment and extrajudicial executions by SARS.⁴

As emotions rise there is one thing that we can be sure of, Nigerian citizens are disgusted with the lack of accountability from the Nigerian police and government. Not only does the Nigerian constitution denounce police brutality and the attacking of peaceful protesters; Nigeria itself is a state party to various international treaties. Being a party on these international treaties means that Nigeria is obligated to take measures on things like police brutality and uphold the human rights granted to its citizens.

Recommendations: Enough is Enough

Nigeria has shown over and over that Nigerian lives do not matter from its dealings with Boko Haram, Herdsmen, and now SARs. If Nigeria wants to grow and function and reach its full potential there needs to be a people centered approach to governing the country.

Nigeria is a country that is full of natural and human resources and there is opportunity and progress to me made in the state. With the rise of protesting and citizen involvement, I believe that Nigerian citizens are on the rights track to demand accountability and change the type of leaders chosen to lead the country.

However, just as it is important to elect visionary leaders, it is important for Nigerian citizens to hold their elected officials accountable for their actions and to remember that a democracy is only as strong as its people’s political participation. “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”⁵

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