Nigeria: #EndSARS Human Rights Defender Exiled After Police Brutality Protests Takes Up Fight Against Disinformation

12 June 2024
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Naledi Sikhakhane

Raphael Adebayo left Nigeria under an alias after he was targeted for being one of the coordinators of the #EndSARS and #ReformPoliceNG movement now, he is tackling disinformation with a new voter education drive.

In 2020, tens of thousands of young Nigerians took part in protests calling for the violent police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to be shut down. At least 56 protesters were killed and more than 15 remain in jail, said Amnesty International in October 2023.

Raphael Adebayo left Nigeria under an alias after he was targeted for being one of the coordinators of the #EndSARS and #ReformPoliceNG movement.

Adebayo spoke to Daily Maverick while attending the 16th annual Oslo Freedom Forum about where the movement is now and his voter education platform, KnowDemWell. The platform aims to foster voter education by profiling political parties and government officials of all ranks.

Adebayo said that although police brutality persists and protesters retreated after the devastating killings, young Nigerians are persistent and hopeful for a better future for the nation.

"A lot of people retreated into their cocoons, which is a natural reaction to the brutal clampdown by the Nigerian government, but the movement lives on in people's minds and hearts as a reminder that no matter how hard they come down on us we will never lose our voice," Adebayo said of the #EndSARS movement.

He said...

Read the full story on Daily Maverick.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 Daily Maverick. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.