Burna Boy has called the End SARS protests the “most important moment in NIGERIA’s history.”
Protests have been taking place across Nigeria and worldwide against the SARS – the Special Anti-Robbery Squad – which has become notorious due to allegations of brutality and extortion – prompting successful calls for it to be disbanded.
President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the unit on October 11th, but demonstrators have called for more changes in the security forces as well as reforms to the way the country is run.
Nigerian singer Burna, real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, has been vocal in his opposition to the police unit.
He spoke to Sky News about the magnitude of the protests – one of which at Nigeria’s Lekki Toll Gate prompted armed forces to apparently fire live rounds, killing one protestor, the state governor confirmed and wounding many others.
“It is shocking when you see it happen in that place, in such a place, that was the landmark of everything,” Burna said. “The Lekki Toll Gate, that was the most peaceful place to protest, the most peaceful venue in the whole country and then that is the place where (the shootings) happen. It is not something that you can just wrap your head around.
“This is the most important moment in Nigeria’s history… that is what we are witnessing right now because if nothing changes after this, if this doesn’t work, then it is over.”
His comments come after his management issued a statement on Thursday denying that the singer’s mansion had been burnt down amid his ongoing support for the #EndSARS protests.
