STATE, POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT AND PROTESTS: INTERROGATING ENDSARS PROTEST OF 2020 AND FACTORS THAT UNDERMINED ITS SUCCESS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Like the Arab Spring that brought radical and fundamental changes in the Middle East and North African States (MENA), the End SARS Protest came with great hope and aspiration for a renewed and better Nigeria. The protest was a product of many years of indignation and discontentment with police brutalities in Nigeria. It started in 2017 but transcended national and international boundaries on 3rd October 2020, consequent upon the merciless killing of a young Nigerian by suspected SARS Officers along Wetlands Hotel, Ughelli Delta State, and the failure of Federal Government to swiftly respond. The Protest doubles as a metaphor or an undercover for a vociferous attack on bad governance and human rights abuse in Nigeria. The study interrogates the nexus between the character of State, political environment and protest with a specific emphasis on the EndSARS protest of 2020. The study used Post- Colonial States theory as a framework of analysis and documentary data. Amongst others, the study finds that the character of Nigerian State and the attendant political environment, undermined the success of the EndSARS protest. Overall, the study recommends rule of law, entrenchment of democratic values and holistic reform of the police institutions, specifically on ethics and professionalism.