Blood on the Dance Floor: Police Brutality, #EndSARS Protest Movement and Responses in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The article examined the causes, dynamics, and responses to the #EndSARS protest in Lagos, Nigeria, on October 20, 2020. Employing a qualitative research approach, data were collected from diverse sources such as eyewitness accounts, reports from international organizations, scholarly publications, working papers, newspapers, government white papers, social media comments, and video footage. Fifteen key informants were selected using purposive sampling. The study utilized the frustration-aggression theory and social injustice framework to analyze the protest. Findings revealed that while the protests were initially fueled by misinformation, they were further exacerbated by youth unemployment, police brutality, poor governance, ineffective government communication and leadership, inadequate crowd control, and the failure to protect peaceful demonstrators. The government’s violent response garnered both local and international support for the protesters, resulting in the creation of panels of inquiry. However, the politicization of these panels' findings and the inability to address the root causes of the protests left the nation in a state of continued dysfunction. The article stresses the importance of strong institutions, good governance, the rule of law, and justice, recommending meaningful reforms, social justice, economic improvement, and stricter discipline for law enforcement.