Published 21st Oct, 2021

By Tola Owoyele

In the wake of #EndSARS, a decentralised series of mass protests against police brutality that was held in October 2020 in Nigeria, a new breed of human rights advocates emerged.

This set of young Nigerians were relatively unknown before the protests, but they fought alongside their compatriots in the battle to put an end to brutality by the ‘men in black’, who were supposed to be the protectors of citizens.

One year after, and as a result of their heroics during the struggle, these young Nigerians have risen to become famous names in the country. Below are five Nigerians enthroned by #EndSARS.enthroned by the #EndSARS protest.

RINU ODUOLA

Olorunrinu Oduola, popularly called Rinu Oduola or Savvy Rinu, is a human rights activist, media strategist and online advocate for humanity. She is one of the Nigerian youths on the streets and at the forefront throughout the #EndSARS Protest in October 2020.

As of December 2019, the 22-year-old student of the Lagos State University who was then known as Chemical Sister on her Twitter handle had just 34,900 followers, and insignificant number of followers on Facebook and Instagram.

But today, Rinu has 382,000 followers on Twitter, a Facebook Fan Page with over 4,000 followers and an Instagram page that has 16,800 followers.

As an aftermath of the protest, and in the government’s attempt to clamp down on the people that were at the forefront of the protest, Rinu’s bank accounts were frozen by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This did not however deter the activist as she continued to appear at forums and gatherings, lending her voice on matters that have to do with better governance, youth participation in politics and empowerment.

However, In April 2021, a high court sitting in Abuja ruled that the accounts be unfrozen.

Until her voluntary withdrawal in February 2021, Rinu was a member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution and Compensation for victims of SARS-Related Abuses, a panel that was set up by the Lagos State Government on October 15, 2020.

EROMOSELE ADENE

Eromosele Adene, also known as Eromz, was yet another prominent figure during the October 2020 protest.

The 27-year-old who studied computer technology at Babcock University, was first arrested by men of the Nigerian police on November 7, 2020, in Lagos, before being transferred to the Federal Criminal Investigation Division (FCID) in Abuja for interrogation.

Eromz was accused of providing financial support for the movement.

He was transferred back to Lagos on November 15, 2020, and made to appear at a magistrate court in Lagos. Eromz was eventually granted bail after the proceeding.

Eromz runs a non-governmental organisation known as BellefulNaija, an organisation set up to feed the poor and less privileged. Eromz, who is also a musician, has through the protests and subsequent arrest by the police become a leading figure in the advocacy for change in Nigeria.

In July, he organised a competition, ‘Get Your PVC Challenge’. The initiative was aimed at encouraging youths to participate actively in the next general elections.

On October 18, Eromz was eventually discharged and acquitted of all charges by the court.

ARISE NEWS TV

Founded in February 2013, Arise News TV, gained prominence, especially among Nigerian youths, with its unrivalled and bias-free coverage of the protest.

Unlike other television stations in the country, it devoted most of its broadcast hours to live coverage and airing of #EndSARS, and also bringing the Nigerian audience up to date on the developments.

From just 8,566 followers in 2016, the television now has over 296,000 followers on Twitter. On April 24, the digital arm of the ARISE News channel won the award for the best online news platform of the year at the 2021 GAGE Digital Awards.

THE FEMINIST COALITION

In July 2020, the Feminist Coalition was formed by a group of Nigerian feminists to fight for women’s rights in the country. Prominent among the members of the coalition are Damilola Odufuwa, Odunayo Eweniyi, Ozzy Etomi, Kiki Mordi and Feyikemi Abudu.

The group became prominent when it took it upon itself to solicit donations from all around the world and render help by providing food, water, first aid kits, masks, medical aid and legal aid for peaceful protesters during the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria.

However, controversy arose when in February 2021, the coalition members were accused of mismanagement of donated funds, as it could not properly account for about $51,000 worth of Bitcoin from the #EndSARS account.

Despite this, the coalition and its members became well-known across the country and around the world for not only supporting the protests, but also championing the advancement of women. It now boasts of close to 200,000 followers on Twitter.

TOLA ONAYEMI

Tola Onayemi, a lawyer, was also a prominent figure during the October 2020 protests.

While the protest was ongoing, Onayemi constantly worked in conjunction with other lawyers in the country to render legal assistance and also seek the release of protesters that were arrested by the police.

He now has close to 84,000 followers on Twitter.

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