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Lagos went on a wild destruction spree despite the curfew in statement saying that its members had lost about N700 billion
place. The “hoodlums” attacked and destroyed several police in the first 12 days of the protests.
facilities, the residences and office as well as businesses
including a hotel and TV station belonging to a prominent The cost of private business, investment opportunities and
politician and the state governor as well as the office building prestige destroyed as a result of the protests may never be
of the Nigeria Ports Authority and the Palace of the Traditional quantified.
Ruler of Lagos, the Oba of Lagos.
Fallout of the #EndSARS Protest
In Rivers State and other South States, the outlawed The morale of the police and other security agencies have been
secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whose badly battered as result of the #EndSARS protest. Although
leader, Nnamdi Kanu is exiled in the United Kingdom and the call provides a veritable platform to commence a holistic
had released audio messages directing them to attack public policing reform a gap has been created in the internal security
officials, went on a rampage during which they targeted architecture in the country ahead of the reform and that may be
mainly northerners and their businesses in these states. The exploited by criminal elements.
governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike responded by federal
governments proscription of the group in the state and The #EndSARS protests and the government’s response to the
pledging N50 million for information that will lead to the arrest protests have highlighted the socio economic and political
of its leader. structural and deep-seated issues surrounding the government
and its relationship with its citizens. This relationship has long
On 22 October, 2020 President Muhammadu Buhari in a been one of distrust and discontent. For many, both the distrust
national broadcast, called for an end to the protest, which he and discontent can be attributed to the breakdown of the social
said had been hijacked by criminals. He also ordered security contract in society.
agencies to restore law and order. However, despite this
presidential directive, starting from 23 October, 2020 and in On 01 October, 2020 Nigeria marked its 60th independence
the chaos, across several states, the “hoodlums” and other anniversary with the theme “Together”. Some observers had
residents targeted and raided warehouses and houses of some argued that a more appropriate theme should have been
prominent individuals storing food items and other supplies, “Engagement and Empowerment” to reflect the need for
where they stole whatever they could lay their hands upon. engagement with an impoverished and economically and
politically disadvantaged communities and segments of the
On 24 October, 2020, the embattled IGP Adamu issued a country’s 200 million population. In June 2019, the World
directive to his command personnel, where he noted that Poverty Clock reported that over 91 million (46.5%) of 200
“enough is enough” and ordered them to “reclaim the public million Nigerians were living in extreme poverty. The #EndSARS
space from hoodlums masquerading as protesters and to movement is generally perceived as a genuine agitation by the
restore normalcy”. youth population of Nigeria, who represent a significant part of
this impoverished population.
Cost of the #EndSARS Protests
On 23 October, 2020 an official of the presidency in an The protests have enabled the Nigerian youth to realize their
interview with an international radio station, announced that power and influence. It is a reasonable assumption to conclude
69 lost their lives in the #EndProtests. He gave the breakdown that the government now sees this youth population as needy
as 51 civilians, 7 military personnel and 11 police personnel. He of engagement — a demographic that had, until the #EndSARS
added that about 205 buildings and hundreds of vehicles had protests, was underestimated, tagged lazy, and had been
been destroyed. criticized for not paying attention to governance. However,
it is also reasonable to assume that the political class that
In a statement on 25 October, 2020 the Lagos state government manipulates and deploys especially the unskilled component
announced that it would require about N1 trillion to rebuild of the youth population, will continue to do so especially as the
the public facilities destroyed during the protest. Before then, scheming continues for 2023 general elections.
the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry released a

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