Iwobi, Ndidi, Tomori, AS Roma join #EndSARS protests

EVEN while not being physically present at the scenes of protests across Nigeria and other parts of the world to end police brutality, several Nigerian footballers are protesting online, Naija Times reports. 

 The protests to scrap the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian police has gone global since they began this week, with marches all over Nigeria and at Nigerian embassies across the world.  

The country’s youths are demanding an immediate scrapping of SARS and a total reform of the police force in order to stop the wanton killings, harrassment and extortion.  

Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi, who played on Friday night against Algeria in Austria, tweeted: “Protect Lives , Not Take Them Away. #EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutality.” 

Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who is undergoing rehabilitation after a serious injury, also joined his voice to the campaign.

 “#EndSARS for the safety of Nigerians… we are scared to visit home because the people who are meant to protect us are killing us. Looking good with dreads is not a crime,” The Super Eagles star tweeted on Saturday.  

Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori, who has Nigerian heritage but has chosen to play international football for England, where he was born, also expressed support for the movement.  

“#EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutality,” he tweeted on Saturday,  adding the Nigerian flag and a broken heart emoji.  

Italian club AS Roma also stood with Nigerian youth, using its verified pidgin account to tweet: “We dey see wetin our fans for Naija dey go thru. We don read all una tweets and messages since.We tanda wit una. And we pray say no innocent lives go lose again.#EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutality.”  

Hundreds of Nigerian youths have been victims of SARS operatives who have intimidated, harrassed and even murdered these young people after profiling them for flamboyant appearances.  

One of such victims was Tiamiyu Kazeem, a player with Remo Stars who was killed in Ogun State in 2019 by men of SARS.