SARS Disbandment Three Years Later: Has Police Reform Delivered?

The #EndSARS protests of October 2020 stand as one of the most significant social movements in Nigeria's post-independence history. The mass uprising — triggered by years of documented brutality, extortion, and killings by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) — led to the unit's disbandment and promises of comprehensive police reform.

Three years later, the question Nigerians are asking is: has anything truly changed?

Human rights organisations paint a mixed picture. The Abuja-based Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) reports a modest decline in documented cases of police brutality following SARS's disbandment. However, successor units and regular police personnel continue to exhibit many of the same behaviours that sparked the protest.

'The problem was never just SARS,' said Amnesty International Nigeria's director in a recent interview. 'It was a culture within the Nigeria Police Force that sees citizens as subjects to be exploited rather than protected. That culture has not been fundamentally changed.'

The Judicial Panels of Inquiry established by state governments in the aftermath of the protests heard thousands of testimonies and awarded billions of naira in compensation to victims. However, implementation of awards has been slow, and many families of the slain protest participants are still waiting for justice.

On the positive side, the Police Act 2020 — Nigeria's first comprehensive police reform legislation in decades — has created a framework for improved accountability, community policing, and civilian oversight. The Police Service Commission has also taken steps to improve recruitment standards and training.

Young Nigerians who led the #EndSARS movement have not abandoned their advocacy. Many have transitioned into formal politics, civil society, and legal activism, bringing their energy into different channels of civic engagement.

'The fight is not over,' said one of the movement's prominent voices, now a lawyer practising in Lagos. 'We are building institutions and holding the police accountable through the courts, the legislature, and the court of public opinion.'