Your Turn

You have not spoken on #EndSARS because exploitation pays you. Your ignorance justifies your silence, your silence terrorizes Africans.

Look at this picture

Look closely. There are three american officers in front of the gate at the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC. The Nigerian embassy staff closed grounds to a group of under 60 peaceful protestors last Friday. They watched us from their windows, they sent their gate-man to take pictures and videos of us. As you can see, they also called the police to man their gates. They did not engage us that day.

Listen. We have calculated it. What stands between us and our freedom is our blood.  Do you know how much blood Nigerians have already shed for our freedom? Do you know how many lives we will lose if we now take the necessary actions to overthrow our leaders? This is why we are looking for international attention, calling for international action. Our politicians are well-protected locally and internationally. How many of them have stolen our money and run to the UK for protection? How many are in the US? I cannot list all guilty countries. But I will say, the only African criminals that find international protection are the ones that extend the legacy of colonial oppression. I will reiterate - last Friday, our ambassador locked us out of our embassy and called American police officers to keep us out. And the police came. 

Would you like us to form a milita? Must we burn half of Lagos? The answer is no. We have shed enough blood for the sake of our freedom. You who are abroad, in leadership in the international community, you say you are “alarmed” by the situation. Yet you protect our oppressors. You occupy space. Your inaction is a brick in the imperialistic wall that protects wicked leaders. Protects exploitation so you can access oil, coltan, and gold that does not belong to you. You enjoy constant electricity, tropical fruit all year-round, ankara, afrobeat, jollof rice, access to technology - the list goes on. But you cannot use the same technology and internet access to support the communities who have been exploited to support your lifestyle. 

Do not tell me you have the right to silence. Do Nigerians not have the right to life?