#EndSARS campaign: The fire brigade siren

Ever noticed the approach of a fire brigade? It's actually a 'simple' procedure. Urgent, fast, hard work. In essence, it's a form of 'acting first and thinking later' procedure. Why? Because there is an emergency. Lives have to be saved and saved fast. 
A fire-brigade siren is what the #EndSARS campaign really is. It is the signal that inspires the fire brigade approach. The signal itself is inspired by anger, frustration and a fight back impulse. The people are tired and fed up, so they let instinct take over, the immediate action instinct. Still with me? If you are, then I'll tell you why #EndSARS is only a superficial solution to a deep problem. 

In Nigeria, it is the common culture that when angry or frustrated, we either go for a weapon or a fire extinguisher, but we use both of them wrongly. #EndSARS is the extinguisher method, so I'll focus on that. Nigerians use the extinguisher in an interesting manner: they pump its contents at the tip of the flame's tongues thereby making the flame withdraw its tongues and instead of flaring upwards, it's forced to flare sideways. In other words, we treat the symptoms and leave the main cause to grow undisturbed. The misbehavior of SARS is only a symptom of a problem that has two parts. Part I: the people. Part II: the authorities. 

First question: Who makes up SARS? Ghanaians? Chinese? No! Actually, Nigerians. My friends, your brother, her father, his uncle, your father-in-law, etc. This part of the problem is manned by us, the people. Sub question: What is it in a Nigerian that makes him act crudely when he's wearing a uniform? Yes, any uniform. Some years ago, when I went for recruitment exercise in one of the services, some of the uniformed kids cudgeling us were actually once fellow applicants of some of us in the group during their first attempt at the exercise. You think SARS is the only problem? If they end it today, CARS will come up. When they end that one, BARS will follow. Seriously, there are many other sleeping giant problems in the Nigerian security services, waiting to erupt full-scale like SARS. I hear the Airforce has now developed a thirst for bombing the wrong targets. The other time, some organization alleged that the Army killed and buried members of the Shi'ite group (though they were the ones that first looked for trouble before trouble found them). Anyway, there is God. 

Second question: Who does SARS members 'make returns to'? Gen gen! This is the part that normally lands someone in a small, dark cell. But let's continue. I'm strengthened by your promise to come with me and keep me company there. But seriously, who backs SARS? Who gives them the go-ahead to do what they do with so much impunity? I've seen cases where people get out of SARS net when they have a 'pass' from high ranked members of the Force. Do you remember Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, former IGP? You do? Great. Soon after he was appointed IGP, he ordered that all checkpoints be dismantled immediately. Look, those manning checkpoints in my area are superior, fearless guys. Dem no send anybody. Even Presidential order nor concern dem. But dear brethren, after the new IGP's order, the checkpoints were all dismantled that very day. Now, fast forward to the day MD Abubakar was replaced. As the new IGP announced that the no-checkpoint order was still in force, that very evening, the checkpoints were returned in full force and even more were added to make up for lost time. All the money they make from ransoms, illegal arrests, harassments, etc., I wonder how far it goes and where it ends. Anyway, lemme come and be going before it'll be too late to go.

 

But we should all know that as far as Nigerians remain Nigerians, as far as the police are not well taken care of by the government, and as far as there are people backing them, #EndSARS can only provide temporary reprieve to a problem that will continue to remain very active and potent. So instead, we should work on our society and government's behavior which is controlled by each and every one of us.