Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has the 2020 #EndSARS demonstration marked the beginning of “irresponsible protesting” in Nigeria.
The #EndSARS movement, which lasted over 14 days in 2020 across major Nigerian cities, demanded the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a division of the Nigerian police known for its brutality, extrajudicial killings, and corruption.
The protest, which initially began as a social media campaign, escalated dramatically, taking a tragic turn on October 20, 2020, when Nigerian security forces allegedly opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at the Lekki Toll Gate, sparking global outrage and widespread denials from the government.
Speaking during an interview with News Central on Wednesday, Bwala said previous protests in Nigeria were organised, unlike the #EndSARS movement.
He added that the government could not simply sit back while such protests unfolded.
“You want to shut down law and order in the country? There is no police anywhere in the world that will close their eyes to that fact,” Bwala said.
”EndSARS was the beginning and the foundation of irresponsible protesting. Before EndSARS, all the protests that we had in the country were organised.
“That’s why it is called organised protest. Any protest that is not organised the government can’t sit back… see what other Nigerians did the other time in Lagos (referring to the occupy Nigeria protest).”
When asked if the government’s actions against #EndSARS protesters were because the protests were disorganised, Bwala denied claims that security forces shot protesters.
“The government didn’t shoot down the protesters. There were misadventures by law enforcement and I must admit,” he said.
“And that’s why a panel was formed to investigate, and it released its findings.”
