As the #EndSARS protests against police brutality continue across the country, protesters have taken the initiative to launch an online radio station named Soro Soke to help louden the protest messages.
Soro Soke which in the Yoruba language means to speak out has become a protest slang that encourages Nigerians to speak out not only against police harassment but also bad governance, poor electricity, the high salary of members of parliament, and every other problem wrong with Nigeria.
As such, it is not surprising that the name of the online radio which will run for 24 hours daily is named Soro Soke.
The nationwide #EndSARS protests in the country started on October 8, 2020, calling on the authorities to abolish an abusive and rogue police unit called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Despite the fact that the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu has banned SARS and replaced it with Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), protests still continue as protesters demand the arrest and prosecution of killer cops, increase in salaries of policemen, and compensation for victims of police brutality.
Beyond this, the protesters have also asked for the resignation of the IGP and to make governance less attractive among others. So far, 10 protesters have been killed according to Amnesty International.
SARS was formed in 1992 to combat armed robbery and other serious crimes. Yet since its inception, the unit has allegedly been implicated in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, and extortion.
Many Nigerians feel that the unit has deliberately profiled and targeted young people, especially those with tattoos, dreadlocks, and visible possessions such as phones and laptops. Over the years, Nigerian authorities have repeatedly promised to reform SARS and ensure accountability for abuses by its officers, but with few results.
