This blog post is listening to Bob Marley's Get up, Stand up.
Hello readers around the world, it’s Timileyin here and I write this blog post in a primary 5 classroom ( you should call me teacher Timi now), with a heart full of utter, unrefined rage and a grieving soul. My soul cries out for our nation Nigeria, for my brothers and sisters who've been victims of the menace that is SARS.
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For our non-Nigerian readers, the SARS (special anti-robbery squad) is supposedly an armed force created by the government to fight against armed robbery and theft in the nation. But in reality, the SARS have become a full fledged terrorist group, funded by the government. These monsters rape our women, torture and maim our men and .murder us unjustly. Our crime? We look and dress good, we drive cars and own I- phones. So of course, we're fraudsters. Ridiculous right?, tell me about it.
And now we, the Nigerian youths are tired!. We have had enough of this unreasonable act of cruelty that has been going on for as long as one can remember and we are sick of our “President’s” constant shock and silence. Hence, the commencement of the #ENDSARSNOW and #EndpolicebrutalityinNigeria movements. Even at that, our peaceful protests have been responded to with apathy from our leaders, illegal arrests, torture of harmless youths and the murder of innocent lives by the very same enemy, SARS. The police and it's forces want to keep us silent, they want to break our backs and mute our voices. But we will NOT back down until the battle is won!.
In lieu of this, I want us to be reminded that nothing ever changes unless you make a conscious decision towards it. We are humans first before anything else, and our voice matters. Silence right now, in these sorrowful times, show that you support the enemy. There can be no peace when our loved ones are lost everyday. There is unquestionable power in solidarity of the people that even the most cruelest dictators have been brought to book by it.
On days when you think you can't speak anymore, let the loss of our brothers and sisters spur you on, the agony of families of our fallen heroes should keep you going. And when you think you can't retweet any longer, or that you won't post that controversial status on WhatsApp, remember Jimoh Isiaq and the growing list of victims who Nigeria failed. Say their names and keep going. Let that rage you feel engulf you until you're screaming for justice. Make it fuel this fire, till the whole world burns with Nigeria’s pain!
As a young woman living in Nigeria, I have experienced traumatizing things that still scar me to death. I have seen cruelty in its most purest form and I have been subjected to the violation of my rights and sexual harassment by the very people who were meant to protect me.
Most recently a church member of ours was being harrased like a criminal and handcuffed without proper questioning. Naomi and I decided to intervene but a gun was pointed at us for speaking up. We ran to the nearest shopkeeper's store, but this man was beaten up and taken to the police station. What was his offence? " He looked like a criminal. I don’t know about you, but this has set aflame my revolutionary fire and I am going to fight for change so my children don’t grow up in the same Nigeria I grew up in. I hope you do too.
And remember guys, your mental health is paramount. Amidst all that’s going on, please never lose your wonder. Love and light always.
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