Protests in Nigeria have continued, as demonstrators face fire from the Nigerian military and security forces. The protests originally began as calls against Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad, also known as SARS, a unit of the Nigerian Police Force accused of extrajudicial killings, torture, and extortion. They have since grown into a wider movement against corruption, and dozens of protestors have been killed.
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On October 13, the Nigerian government announced the dissolution of the SARS unit and the formation of SWAT, a special weapons and tactics unit, to take its place. Protestors are concerned that SARS officers will be moved to the SWAT unit, and on October 20, Nigerian security forces killed at least 15 people and injured hundreds in Lagos, Nigeria’s capital. The Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator from the 1980s, remained silent about the deaths until October 22, when he blamed protestors for causing destruction and disturbing the peace.For now, Nigeria’s protests have shown no sign of slowing down anytime soon.