Framing Injustice: Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria and the #EndSARS Protest Response from a Social Movement Theory Perspective
This article employs Social Movement Theory (SMT) to examine collective action mobilisation against malfeasance by Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS). Created in the 1990s to counter armed gangs, SARS gradually became discredited. Finally, in October 2020, after weeks of public protest, t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Hradec Králové
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Modern Africa |
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| Online Access: | https://195.113.118.27/modernafrica/article/view/220 |
| _version_ | 1797202621153411072 |
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| author | Akali Omeni |
| author_facet | Akali Omeni |
| author_sort | Akali Omeni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This article employs Social Movement Theory (SMT) to examine collective action mobilisation against malfeasance by Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS). Created in the 1990s to counter armed gangs, SARS gradually became discredited. Finally, in October 2020, after weeks of public protest, the unit was disbanded. The #EndSARS movement proved instrumental here. The present article explores the origins, nature and decline of SARS until the #EndSARS protests. #EndSARS arguably provoked police reform in Nigeria. Furthermore, whereas social media has dominated the discourse on the protesters’ agency, I employ framing theory, as a SMT sub-set, to show that #EndSARS employed diagnostic, prognostic and motivational frames, within “injustice” master frames, towards collective action mobilisation. In conducting this analysis, I situate the #EndSARS case within the broader literature debate on impactful protests against police brutality.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T20:08:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a1db23ce14304711a55eae168a82d4f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2336-3274 2570-7558 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:06:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Hradec Králové |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Modern Africa |
| spelling | doaj.art-a1db23ce14304711a55eae168a82d4f72024-04-17T11:01:09ZengUniversity of Hradec KrálovéModern Africa2336-32742570-75582022-12-01102Framing Injustice: Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria and the #EndSARS Protest Response from a Social Movement Theory PerspectiveAkali Omeni0University of St. Andrews, UK This article employs Social Movement Theory (SMT) to examine collective action mobilisation against malfeasance by Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS). Created in the 1990s to counter armed gangs, SARS gradually became discredited. Finally, in October 2020, after weeks of public protest, the unit was disbanded. The #EndSARS movement proved instrumental here. The present article explores the origins, nature and decline of SARS until the #EndSARS protests. #EndSARS arguably provoked police reform in Nigeria. Furthermore, whereas social media has dominated the discourse on the protesters’ agency, I employ framing theory, as a SMT sub-set, to show that #EndSARS employed diagnostic, prognostic and motivational frames, within “injustice” master frames, towards collective action mobilisation. In conducting this analysis, I situate the #EndSARS case within the broader literature debate on impactful protests against police brutality. https://195.113.118.27/modernafrica/article/view/220Social Movement Theory (SMT)Framing TheoryNigeria Police Forcepolice brutalitycriminal justice policy reform |
| spellingShingle | Akali Omeni Framing Injustice: Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria and the #EndSARS Protest Response from a Social Movement Theory Perspective Modern Africa Social Movement Theory (SMT) Framing Theory Nigeria Police Force police brutality criminal justice policy reform |
| title | Framing Injustice: Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria and the #EndSARS Protest Response from a Social Movement Theory Perspective |
| title_full | Framing Injustice: Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria and the #EndSARS Protest Response from a Social Movement Theory Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Framing Injustice: Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria and the #EndSARS Protest Response from a Social Movement Theory Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Framing Injustice: Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria and the #EndSARS Protest Response from a Social Movement Theory Perspective |
| title_short | Framing Injustice: Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria and the #EndSARS Protest Response from a Social Movement Theory Perspective |
| title_sort | framing injustice special anti robbery squads sars in nigeria and the endsars protest response from a social movement theory perspective |
| topic | Social Movement Theory (SMT) Framing Theory Nigeria Police Force police brutality criminal justice policy reform |
| url | https://195.113.118.27/modernafrica/article/view/220 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT akaliomeni framinginjusticespecialantirobberysquadssarsinnigeriaandtheendsarsprotestresponsefromasocialmovementtheoryperspective |