Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has described the 2020 #EndSARS protest as the starting point of “irresponsible protesting” in Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview with News Central on Wednesday, Bwala claimed that unlike previous demonstrations, the #EndSARS movement lacked organisation, making it a threat to law and order.
“You want to shut down law and order in the country? There is no police anywhere in the world that will close their eyes to that fact,” he said.
“#EndSARS was the beginning and foundation of irresponsible protesting. Before #EndSARS, all the protests we had in the country were organised.”
Bwala argued that the government could not afford to be passive in such situations, citing past protests that he considered more structured.
When asked about the violent crackdown on #EndSARS protesters, he denied that security forces deliberately fired at demonstrators.
“The government didn’t shoot down the protesters. There were misadventures by law enforcement, and I must admit,” he stated.
“That’s why a panel was formed to investigate, and it released its findings.”
The #EndSARS movement, which began in October 2020, was a nationwide outcry against police brutality, particularly targeting the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit accused of extortion, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
On October 20, 2020, military personnel stormed the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, a key protest ground. Witnesses alleged that soldiers opened fire on unarmed demonstrators waving the Nigerian flag, leading to casualties.
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