End SARS: Unity is always formidable - Lawyer hails Nigerian youth after protest

Ogochukwu Nweke, Lawyer, Vice President, Synergies Institute-Ghana

A Nigerian lawyer and political commentator has said that the strength and unity of the Nigerian youth cannot be questioned after a nationwide protest led to the dissolution of the infamous Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

His comment follows the televised announcement by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu in Abuja on Sunday, October 12 (yesterday) that the police have dissolved the special unit.

Prior to this, many Nigerians had hit the streets of major cities including Lagos and Abuja to drive home their demands of new reforms of the police service.

Using the #EndSARS slogan, Nigerians far and wide both online and offline accused SARS and the police administration of theft, harassment, and battery.

Famous celebrity such as Davido, Wizkid, Falz, Runtown, Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage and comedian MrMacaroni joined and led protests in many parts of the country.

Speaking to MyNigeria.com, Vice President, Synergies Institute-Ghana, Mr Ogochukwu Nweke said the success of the protest strengthens the school of thought that unity is always formidable.

"This is the result of a collective effort. Unity is always formidable and productive. We might not all be friends and we might not all agree on the details of the matter, but we all agree that the matter has gone far enough."

He continued: "This is a mere foretaste of the change that is capable of happening in Nigeria if the people unite on a matter. It is the beginning of a revival that will change many things, if we keep the fire burning and refuse to be polluted," he added.

Despite the dissolution of SARS, some Lagosians residing on the island have taken to the streets to continue their protests demanding more reforms of the police service.

An image cited by MyNigeria.com show hundreds of residents as they trooped the popular Lekki Toll Gate bringing vehicular movement to a complete halt.

Some members of the police force were on-hand to ensure the protest was peaceful.

Meanwhile, popular Nigerian singer, Ayodeji Balogun popularly known in the showbiz circle as Wizkid has urged the youth to use their vote to determine the fortunes of the country heading into the next general elections in 2023.

Following in the path of other celebrity colleagues who throned the streets in protest, Wizkid in a tweet shortly after the protest ended in the United Kingdom dropped a word of advice for the youth.

According to Wizkid, there is a need for youths in the country to show their real power in the next general elections.

"Next election we show real power." Singer Wizkid tweeted.

The tweet was also accompanied by a unique hashtag against police brutality in the country.

Within hours of posting, Wizkid’s tweet garnered over 100,000 likes and, over 5,000 retweets and more than 3,000 comments from his followers on the social media platform.