#EndSARS called for disbanding which Nigerian police unit?

#EndSARS called for disbanding Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The unit, commonly abbreviated SARS, was a Nigerian Police Force squad created in late 1992 to investigate violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, vehicle theft, cattle rustling and illegal firearms offenses.

SARS became notorious for allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture, extortion, arbitrary arrests and other abuses. Earlier reform promises and renaming efforts failed to end public anger, helping the hashtag campaign return with force in 2020. The movement was led largely by young Nigerians and spread through social media and street protests.

Nigeria’s inspector general of police announced the unit’s dissolution on October 11, 2020, after nationwide demonstrations. A replacement unit called Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT, was proposed, which prompted another hashtag and continued skepticism. The common mix-up is confusing SARS with Nigeria’s Mobile Police Force: both were police organizations, but #EndSARS specifically targeted the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.