The hashtag “ENDSARS” has recently been trending on all kinds of social media. SARS stands for Special Anti-Robbery Squad. They are a branch of the police force in Nigeria that was established to help decrease the number of robberies, kidnappings, and other violent crimes. Since 2017 SARS has been documented to have 82 cases of abuses and extra judicial killings of Nigerian people. This is still happening. More attention has been associated with the ENDSARS movement this year because of social media platforms. Petitions are being signed, money is being raised, and people are starting to pay more attention to the movement. Protests in Nigeria are currently taking place daily. 

On the twelfth  night of protesting police brutality, over 20 Nigerian security forces reportedly opened fire on peaceful protesters. Some people were injured. Some sources say 12 protesters were killed, but there is no exact number recorded. There is online speculation that the Lekki county deaths are much higher. On Tuesday there was a 24 hour curfew implemented to the people who live in Lagos, Africa so protests would stop. The protests against SARS have only grown in number since. There are videos and photos on social media of the shooting and the protests before the fire started. 

Omotoke, a 25 year old woman who lives in Lagos said, “The people who swore to protect us were killing us whilst waving flags and singing the national anthem. They were supposed to stand down but they didn’t.” People have been speaking up. Posting on social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, trying to raise awareness to the cause. ENDSARS is becoming more recognized, yet most people still haven’t heard of it.