Sọrọ Sókè: Nigerian youth don’t carry last.
Trigger warning: Mild mentions of police brutality, sexual assault and rape.
Donate here to support Nigerians protesting.
Sọrọ Sókè — speak up!
Nigerians are proud and we do everything with confidence. I mean, we are the largest Black nation on Earth, with over 200 million (probably more) in the country and countless Nigerians in diaspora. Now, we are using our voices across the globe to speak out against injustice. Injustice by our own government, our police who are supposed to protect us. Buhari and his government need to understand the world is listening and this will not die down. It’s far too long that Nigerian youth have been slandered, dismissed and have been unheard. But, enough is enough.
Just over a few weeks ago, we celebrated our Independence Day on the 1st October and now, there’s protests across Nigeria and the diaspora from London, Berlin, Toronto to Dallas. The fact these protests are happening, just after our Independence Day is powerful. Perhaps this is the birth of a new independence for Nigerian youth, triggering a much needed change in such a brutally corrupt system.
As a diaspora, it’s amazing to see how we are all speaking out. Whether it is by protesting, donating, writing or just spreading awareness. No matter our religious or ethnic differences, at the end of the day — we are all Nigerian and we are all connected. These protests have crossed state lines whether they are in Akure, Kano or Asaba — despite the alleged divisions between Northern and Southern Nigeria, we are unified and that is the most important thing. Unity looks good on us.
Around 1900 Nigerians have been killed by police in 2020 — more than twice the amount of people murdered by police officers in the US this year. #ENDSARS is also Black Lives Matter, whether people are being killed by a white officer or a Black one. Nigerian lives matter and are valuable. So, the same energy must be kept everywhere.
