Mass mobilization for police accountability: The case of Nigeria's #EndSARS protest.

Ojedokun, Usman A; Ogunleye, Yetunde O; Aderinto, Adeyinka A

Organized public protests against police organization are a rare occurrence in Nigeria. However, between November 2017 and October 2020, a series of online and offline protests organized under the umbrella of #EndSARS campaign was staged against the operation of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force. Thus, this article X-rayed the circumstances that led to the emergence of the #EndSARS protest as a strategic means for seeking police accountability, and the impact of the mass action on policing and law enforcement in Nigeria. Although the #EndSARS protest constitutes a major turning point in the yearnings of Nigerian citizens for police accountability, the campaign has some far-reaching consequences on policing and law enforcement in Nigeria. It is imperative for the Nigeria Police Force to make more efforts towards developing the protest policing skills and approach of its personnel.

NIGERIA; POLICE accountability; MASS mobilization; PUBLIC demonstrations; LAW enforcement; POLICE

Policing: A Journal of Policy & Practice, 2021, Vol 15, Issue 3, p1894

1752-4512

Academic Journal

10.1093/police/paab001