The protest against extortion and brutality by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad has been joined by Super Eagles players, Leon Balogun, Shehu Abdulahi, and John Ogu.
Hundreds of youths across the country have taken to streets in a solidarity protest to call for the scrapping of FSARS.
Balogun tweeted, “The reasons for the #EndSARSProtests have just come to my attention via very disturbing images and tweets. It is never good when those charged with protecting the citizens are now terrorising, extorting, or even killing the same citizens. I support #EndSarsProtests #EndSars.”
Ogu, who has been without a club since the COVID-19 pandemic, also wrote, “I pray our first checkpoint will never be our last bus-stop. Enough is enough.”
“The voice of the people must be heard, @NigeriaGov must #EndSARS and protect the lives of our Youth from #PoliceBrutality. My brother @BashirAhmaad, kindly pass our message to the President @MBuhari,” Abdulahi added.
Plateau United striker, Sunday Adetunji also tweeted,” Footballers are not criminals because of hairstyle. A lot of @LMCNPFL players have been harassed by the police. Our Youth can’t live freely anymore, we live with the fear of gunshots. Kudos to everyone that came out for the protest.” #EndSARSImmediately #EndSarsProtests.”
Zaidu Sanusi’s teammate at FC Porto, Malang Sarr, also wrote, “I feel so touched by what is going on in Nigeria now. You have my full support! We all need to come together and make sure this ends now. Peace first before anything! #EndSARS #EndSARSImmediately #EndSarsNow #EndSarsProtests.”
The Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, added,” If we stigmatise our youth as criminals, paint them all with one brush as ‘yahoo boys ‘within our borders, harass, attack and arrest them indiscriminately even before they get the chance to defend themselves – aren’t we as a country destroying their reputation and chances to succeed?”
