Youths Movement: An Examination of End Special Anti-Robbery Squad (EndSARS) Protests and Challenges Facing the Nigerian Youths

Abstract

Societies mostly see youths as the root of all evils. Youths are painted as being the centre of violence, be it political, ethnic, religious, gang and the list goes on. Any society that fails to protect or provide the right and interest of its youths may never be a safe and prosperous one. Every society will be secured if it had ideals and system to ensure justice. Not abandoning the youths to the fringes and mercies of poverty, inequality, lack of quality education, and unemployment. Failure to invest, promote and protect the youths may result in radicalization, escalation of violent acts and extremism. This paper examines the youth's movement in Nigeria and EndSARS protest. Whether or not the protest complied with due process and the challenges confronting the Nigerian youths are discussed. The paper is a content analysis and it revealed that the EndSARS protest is not only for the brutality, disbandment of SARS but reforming the entire Nigerian Police Force and other lukewarm attitudes of government against Nigerian youths. The paper reveals that short-sighted policymaking fails to properly integrate the youth's needs. Youths are not involved in political and economic structures, this influences Nigerian youths to indulge in a series of agitations and violent acts of political thuggery, armed robbery, ethno-religious crises, kidnapping etc. It is recommended that reforming the Nigerian Police Force may fetch out the bad eggs. The institution may regain its confidence from the public and Nigerians youths. It concluded that public confidence should be resuscitated towards the NPF.