The nationwide protests demanding proscription of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) have gathered momentum beyond Nigeria, with #EndSARS trending on Twitter in other countries like United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Canada.
The protest was also the most trended issue on Friday globally, according to a Tweet by @BBCAfrica, as Nigerians continued to demonstrate across the country amid violent clashes.
Many Nigerians in diaspora, international media, celebrities and activists have weighed in on the clamor for a change in the security sector.
The #EndSARS protest was reignited last week following the shooting of a youth reportedly in front of a hotel in Ughelli, Delta State, in broad daylight by some FSARS operatives who drove away his Lexus Jeep.
The police have however said the youth did not die, but that he jumped out of the a vehicle by Operation Delta Safe and not SARS.
Nigeria Police Force consequently banned FSARS and other special tactical squads from carrying out routine stop and search.
Nigerians claimed that the police authorities had not shown enough commitment to reform the dreaded police unit over the years and called for its disbandment.
Despite the Force’s call for calm, the protest raged on in several parts of the country, including Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Delta, Imo, with Nigerians abroad joining the demonstration.
A Nigerian-British actor, John Boyega, on Friday was among the international celebrities who lent their voices to the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria.
The Star Wars actor also announced on Twitter that an anti-SARS protest would hold at the Nigeria High Commission in London, the United Kingdom, on Sunday.
Many Nigerians living in London vowed to join in the protest.
The #EndSARS was also one of the most trended topics on Twitter on Friday with some Nigerians and non-Nigerians living in the UK, the United States, South Africa, and Canada, pledging to organise similar protests to amplify support for the calls to disband SARS – a police unit accused of serial human rights abuses.
In its tweet on Friday, @BBCAfrica noted that;
THE HASHTAG #ENDSARS HAS BEEN TRENDING AT NO 1 WORLDWIDE TODAY, AS PROTESTORS CONTINUE TO DEMAND A NOTORIOUS POLICE UNIT IN NIGERIA DISBANDED.
See some reactions from international media and individuals below;