Two years ago, young Nigerians nationwide were engaged in the most forceful fight of their lives. For years on end, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad which was created in 1992 harassed, arrested, defrauded and killed several Nigerians extrajudicially, flouting law and regard for human life in broad daylight. At the onset of a pandemic in 2020 the relationship between the country’s police and her young citizens fractured consistently, as reports of harassment broke out each day. By October, the End SARS protests had broken out in several parts of the country.

Till this day, the events of that month remain alive. Many Nigerians were directly affected and bear the wounds—literally and otherwise. Loved ones were lost and several others went missing, the sinister activities of errant policemen were exposed, and the administration’s disregard for human life was blatantly exposed. Even with overwhelming evidence, public officials have sometimes tried to underplay the gravity of what happened, what we all saw happen.

 

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On YouTube, With Chude does important community-centered work and on his latest documentary he investigates the End SARS protests. ‘The Most Evil Policemen in Africa’ is a robust depiction of what the protests meant and how it forever changed the lives of many people. Speaking to families and friends of affected individuals, he collects a wide range of memories from across the country. The title phrase ‘I killed your son, and there is nothing you can do about it,” was uttered by CSP James Nwafor, a monstrous, bloodthirsty police officer who headed a station at Awkuzu, Anambra state.

Also featured in the documentary were activists and media personalities, who engaged the local and international audience and helped coordinate funds and legal support. Falz, Rinu Oduala, Mr. Macaroni and many others shared their perspectives from those heated weeks. With its dedication to fact-checking and personal narratives, no doubt this is an essential watch towards understanding that historic moment in the lives of Nigerians. 

Watch the documentary here.

ICYMI: THE FIGHT TO #ENDSARS IS REALLY A FIGHT TO FIX THE NIGERIAN SYSTEM