SARS Symbolises The Bad Governance Experience In Nigeria – Tunde Bakare

The brutal impunity of gun-wielding policeman and operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is the symbol of the bad governance Nigerians have experienced for too long, the Serving Overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Pastor ‘Tunde Bakare has said.

Bakare said for too long, the Nigerian people have been subjected to a less than desirable nation where they are served insecurity, poverty and underdevelopment. And denied a decent standard of living, quality education, good healthcare, quality roads, access to electricity, among others.

Bakare, the Convener of Save Nigeria Group, stated this during a nationwide broadcast on Sunday October 25, 2020, where he addressed the attack on unarmed EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate on Tuesday October 20, 2020.

He said SARS is the symbol of everything wrong in Nigeria and “at the root of the issues that confront our nation is a foundational problem of nationhood that has persisted from one administration to another and provided a conducive environment for the State-Aided Robbery Squad (SARS).”

He added that until this foundational problem of nationhood is addressed, the call to End SARS will persist long after the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

For more than 10 days, young Nigerians took to the streets of Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo and other cities in the country as well as in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and elsewhere to protest the criminal activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit in the Nigerian Police Force notorious for extorting and killing young people after profiling them as internet fraudsters or armed robbers.

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The peaceful protest was, however, taken to an ugly extreme on Tuesday October 20, 2020, when soldiers deployed to the Lekki toll gate to dispel the protesters opened fire on the unarmed protesters.

The Nigerian government and the soldiers have denied attacking the protesters despite visual evidence.

Bakare, who condemned the attack, said no degree of brutal repression of protesters can quench the flame of protests in the hearts and minds of the Nigerian people. “Your bullets may drive them off the streets, but your bullets cannot pierce their spirits or puncture their resilience.”