The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was established in Nigeria to address rising crime rates and enhance public safety. Over time, the unit deviated from its mandate, becoming notorious for extortion, unlawful detention, and brutality, disproportionately targeting youth perceived as affluent or unconventional. This legacy of abuse culminated in the October 2020 #EndSARS protests, where youth-led, social media-fueled demonstrations demanded systemic reform. The tragic Lekki Toll Gate shooting underscored the urgency of addressing police brutality and rebuilding trust between law enforcement and citizens. Despite SARS’s dissolution, systemic issues persist, necessitating innovative, research-based, and interactive approaches to inspire meaningful change.
Efforts to combat police brutality in Nigeria often fail to sustain awareness or inspire concrete reforms. Existing initiatives ranging from reports to documentaries lack the multidimensional engagement needed to drive systemic change. To address this gap, a transformative project is proposed, combining research, multimedia storytelling, and technology to engage stakeholders, mobilize collective action, and amplify voices for justice.
To achieve comprehensive insights and inspire action, the following innovative research projects are proposed:
Curatorial activism tweets
The project aims to capture the essence of the #EndSARS protests by curating tweets and digital content that defined the movement’s spirit and impact. It will focus on pivotal hashtags such as #EndSARS, #LekkiMassacre, #PoliceReform, and #5for5, analyzing their evolution and peaks of engagement. The curation will highlight viral tweets, personal testimonies, and threads that provided updates and mobilized action. Additionally, the project will showcase iconic visuals images, videos, and memes that galvanized public support and amplified global solidarity. Contributions from activists, ordinary citizens, and international allies will be central to understanding the role of influential voices in shaping narratives and driving engagement. This digital scrapbook will include a timeline of key tweets, categorized sections for storytelling, and engagement analytics to visualize the movement’s online reach.
Accompanying the curated content will be a comprehensive analysis of the role Twitter played in organizing protests, fundraising, and fostering solidarity. The study will explore the interplay between digital narratives and on-ground mobilization, illustrating how Twitter’s virality amplified the movement’s global reach. Challenges such as misinformation will also be addressed, highlighting the activists’ efforts in countering false narratives through real-time updates and fact-checking. The digital archive will serve as a foundation for a book titled "Tweets of Resistance: Digital Activism and the #EndSARS Movement," featuring curated tweets, thematic essays, and interviews. By preserving and analyzing the digital activism of #EndSARS, this project will deepen public understanding of social media’s power in shaping modern protests and inspire future generations to harness technology for advocacy and reform.
Exploring the Role of Digital Platforms in Shaping Narratives on Police Brutality
Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook played pivotal roles during the #EndSARS protests. This research will analyze how hashtags, posts, and threads shaped public discourse, mobilized protests, and amplified victim stories. Datasets will include social media archives, engagement metrics, and sentiment analysis. Advanced text-mining and visualization tools will be used to examine how digital activism influenced policy discussions and global solidarity.
Mapping Police Brutality Through Geospatial Analysis
This project will create an interactive map documenting incidents of police brutality across Nigeria. Data will be sourced from news archives, NGO databases, and crowd-sourced reports, highlighting abuse hotspots, patterns, and socioeconomic correlations. Tools like GIS will visually present data, providing policymakers and advocates with actionable insights on regional disparities and trends.
Analyzing the Economic Costs of Police Brutality
This research will quantify the financial burden of police violence on victims, their families, and society. Costs related to medical expenses, loss of income, and psychological trauma will be assessed, alongside broader economic impacts such as investor confidence during unrest. Datasets will include hospital records, financial reports, and economic indicators during the #EndSARS protests. This analysis will highlight the need for victim support and systemic reform. An example of this is Aljazeera’s ‘Counting the Cost’.
Exploring the Psychological and Social Impact of Police Brutality
This study will investigate the mental health effects of police violence on victims, families, and communities. It will focus on trauma, trust in law enforcement, and societal cohesion. Primary data will be collected through interviews, surveys, and focus groups, complemented by secondary data from mental health organizations and academic studies. Recommendations will address victim support and police training reforms.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Post-#EndSARS Police Reforms
This research will assess reforms implemented since the disbandment of SARS, analyzing their effectiveness in reducing police misconduct and restoring public trust. Key datasets will include government reports, citizen complaints, and civil society monitoring data. Findings will identify reform gaps and offer actionable recommendations for sustainable accountability.
Creating a Multi-Media Memorial to Document Victims and Advocacy Efforts