Kanye West and other stars join global protests over police brutality in Nigeria

Celebrities including singer Trey Songz (real name Tremaine Aldon Neverson), former professional footballer Rio Ferdinand and “Star Wars” actor John Boyega are also among those showing support to those protesting the disbandment of a controversial police unit in the West African nation.

The protests in cities across Nigeria came after weeks of outcry online from young people in the country over claims of kidnapping, harassment and extortion by a police unit known as the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS). Demonstrations continued after the inspector general of police announced Sunday that the unit was being disbanded and its officers redeployed.

Diaspora protests

Over the weekend, the Nigerian diaspora community also organized protests in solidarity with their counterparts at home.

On Sunday, #EndSARS protests took place in Canada, England, Germany and the United States.

Fakhriyyah Hashim, one of the protesters in London, told CNN that the aim of the protest was to encourage the diaspora community in England to financially support protesters in Nigeria so that they can keep their protests running.

Afrobeat stars Wizkid (real name Ayodeji Balogun) and Mr Eazi (real name Oluwatosin Ajibade) also attended the London protest.

Mr Eazi, addressing the crowd with a microphone, said that he had personally been stopped and harassed by SARS officers. “None of us are safe if we continue to stay in the comfort of our homes allowing people to speak and say it does not affect them,” he said in the video seen by CNN.

Protesters similarly gathered on Sunday and Monday chanting “End SARS” at Queen Street in Toronto, Canada.

Blessing Timidi Digha, one of the protesters who was present on both days, told CNN the demonstrators’ demands included justice for those brutalized by the police unit, reform of the police and an end to all forms of police brutality.

“We hoped to share our personal experiences in the hands of SARS and the police, to join our colleagues back home in demanding for the dignity of the Nigerian life,” Digha said.

Lagos state spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said that all complaints against its officers are carefully investigated and appropriate sanctions applied to offenders. Adejobi added that many people don’t report abuse because they fear that they may not get justice. He encouraged people affected by police misconduct to report it.

Dissolution of SARS

As protests were ongoing in different parts of the world on Sunday, Nigeria’s inspector general of police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, announced that SARS was being dissolved.

But protests continued in Lagos, Abuja and Kwara on Monday, with young Nigerians saying they would continue to take to the streets until the entire police force was reformed.

Abayomi Akinbo, who participated in protests in the Nigerian capital Abuja, agreed. “It is not enough to end that unit and redeploy them to other places,” he told CNN. “What we want is for the unit to end, and an investigation into the conduct of the SARS unit to be conducted.”

Akinbo added that officers should be trained on how to engage with citizens to minimize the brutality they inflict on people.