Episode 3 with Maryann Okon
Episode 3 with Maryann Okon
discussing police brutality in Nigeria and the #EndSARS movement
Hey commenters,
Our last episode with Maryann Okon has almost 800 views on Happs and almost 300 views on Instagram. Over 1,000 in total! (…excuse me while I pat myself on the back for that), okay I’m back! ICYMI: Maryann is a broadcast journalist and news anchor in Nigeria and has been extensively covering the #EndSARS movement. To see the full video click here. Thanks for watching!
Last week with Maryann we spoke about what is currently happening with the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria, how Nigerians are dealing with it and what the future holds. Here is the original tweet and the comment below it that we discussed:
Above tweet: someone expressing frustration that making memes about the situation in Nigeria is inappropriate.
Below: two people disagreeing that the best course of action is to join the youth in protest.
Here are some key takeaways from this episode:
Thousands, if not tens of thousands of people have been protesting in the streets of Nigeria against SARS. SARS stands for Special Anti-Robbery Squad. In recent years they have been accused of an array of human rights violations. The protests that started are a result of Nigerians speaking out against police brutality and specifically against the actions of SARS .
Maryann told us a large protest happened at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos where government soldiers came, just as the electricity was being turned off, and released live ammunition on the protestors. Many protestors believed this was planned, because of how conveniently it happened.
The government has yet to accept that people died on that day. The army is saying that the videos they saw were photoshopped. The bodies of those shot also have not been found. Maryann says Nigerians feel like they’re being taken for a ride.
It’s important to remember, Nigerians are not just protesting the acts of SARS but the police overall, and bag governance. Many protestors are asking for reform, because they know that even if SARS is disbanded those officers will still serve as regular police.
In regards to the comments, Maryann says Nigerians are using memes to make fun of the government (not those who died) and using them as a coping mechanism. With all of the madness, she says many Nigerians need to unplug and relax.
In the second comment, Maryann explains that many Nigerians feel that waiting for the election in 2023 is too far and the citizens have the ability to fight back right now.
Maryann says the mention of “hoodlums” isn’t necessarily referring to the protestors. Although there were some protestors that were looting and destroying property, most were peaceful. She says she doesn’t think it’s right to call them “hoodlums” they’re just frustrated and the government needs to step up to the plate. She says even those that were purposely hired by the government to cause ruckus and destroy property are now also realizing that they have rights and that same government doesn’t have their back and were using them as pawns in this situation.
For the future, Maryann says “Nigeria is the only solution to Nigeria’s problem. We need to let them know that the power belongs to us. The office of the citizen is the most powerful office. It’s our tax money that pays their bills, they’re supposed to do what we ask them to do.”. She says until the people really step into their power and continue to fight for their rights, the problems of Nigeria won’t be solved.
Huge thank you to Maryann for all of her insight. Follow her on twitter and instagram to stay update with all of her coverage.
This week on SATURDAY at 10AM EST on Happs we’ll by joined by Andy Hirschfeld. Andy is a multimedia journalist and author that has been featured in Al Jazeera, CNBC, Bloomberg and many more. He’ll be talking to us all about the election and some comments we find. BUT, the election isn’t over yet so we won’t be sharing those comments until we have results and can see what people’s reactions are! (We’ll share the comments on my instagram when we choose them!)
Tune in to hear our questions for Andy and his insight on the results of the 2020 election. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow me on Happs or watch live on my Twitter, Youtube and Facebook (I also post every episode to my IGTV after airing).
Thanks for your support and see you soon,
Shivani Persad
