These Photos Capture Striking Moments of Nigeria's #EndSARS Protests

Over the past few weeks, Nigeria has been rocked by mass protests against continued police brutality in the country. Nigerian youth have called upon President Muhammadu Buhari and his government to disband the infamous Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The security unit has been accused of the harassment, extortion, abduction, torture and even murder of Nigerian youth who are seen to be "wealthy" as well as those who are part of vulnerable groups including the LGBT community. SARS was established back in 1992 with protests calling for the disbanding of the unit erupting as early back as 2017. While there have been recent reports that SARS has been disbanded, these are in conflict with other reports that point towards a desire for reformation instead.

READ: Deep Dive: Protest Movements Across the Continent

Powerful images and videos have emerged on social media with Nigerian youth demanding that the protests be broadcast for all to see as and when they happen. More recently, the governor of River State, Nyesom Wike, has since banned the protests and urged parents to ensure their children "do not violate [the] order". Nigerians who are a part of the diaspora, in communities such as New York, Berlin and even London, have also held protests in their respective countries as a show of solidarity.

Nigerian student and photographer, Rachel Seidu, has managed to capture a number of striking moments amid the ongoing protests. Based in Lagos, 23-year-old Seidu has documented parts of the protests in Lagos, Yaba and Alausa. Describing the atmosphere she felt at the protests, Seidu says to OkayAfrica, "I was surprised with the turnout of youths at the venue." The photographer continues by saying, "I could see the unhappiness in their faces and the way they felt about this. It was clear that they were passionate about this fight and were not backing down soon. Seeing this gave me strength to make sure I documented [the protests] as best as I could."

Follow Rachel Seidu on both Twitter and Instagram.

Take a look at the photos below:

Photo by Rachel Seidu.

Photo by Rachel Seidu.

Photo by Rachel Seidu.

Photo by Rachel Seidu.

Photo by Rachel Seidu.

Photo by Rachel Seidu.

Photo by Rachel Seidu.

Photo by Rachel Seidu.