Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, has stated that the 2020 End SARS movement marked the beginning of what he describes as “irresponsible protesting” in Nigeria.
Speaking on News Central Television on Wednesday, February 12, Bwala asserted that unlike previous demonstrations, the End SARS protests lacked organization and disrupted law and order.
“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.
The End SARS movement, which lasted for two weeks across major Nigerian cities, called for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) due to widespread allegations of police brutality and extrajudicial killings. The protest gained global attention and resulted in the government’s dissolution of SARS.
Bwala acknowledged law enforcement’s missteps during the protest but maintained that the government did not suppress demonstrators.
He also accused international media, particularly CNN, of exaggerating aspects of the protest’s fallout.
“But the government didn’t shut down the protesters. However, there were misadventures by law enforcement, and I admit that. That’s why a panel was formed to investigate, and it released its findings. But many of the subsequent reports were based on fake news, particularly from CNN,” he added.