EndSARS Memorial: Our next move will depend on the government’s response — Mr. Macaroni

Adebowale Debo Adedayo, also known as Mr. Macaroni, is a Nigerian activist and content producer. He recently claimed that the next move taken by young people in Nigeria will depend on how the government responds to the second anniversary of the #EndSARS protesters’ demand.

Remember how Nigerian teenagers organised a national protest in 2020 with the hashtag #EndSARS to push for the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a Nigerian Police Force division with a long history of abusing civilians.

On October 20, 2020, the Nigerian military used live ammunition to disperse the peaceful demonstrators who had gathered at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, which resulted in the murder of defenceless civilians.

When Macaroni questioned the government’s inability to keep its promises to the demonstrators during the walk and drove through the Tollgate in honour of those killed by police violence, he also referred to it as dishonesty.

“That’s to show you how deceitful government can sometimes be. So they need to realize that this fight is for the Nigerian people.

“Before becoming a police officer, governor and president, you are first a Nigerian. So at the end of the day, if Nigeria is good for everyone, we will have a peaceful country,” he said.