20-10-20 : The day the sun set at noon

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Avatar for HappyBoy
2 years ago

Today makes it exactly one year the street was flooded with the blood of innocent youths. Till today the culprits haven't been put to justice and the government are still in denial. It was the day the sun set at noon. Various lives were cut short.. mothers were made to weep over their sons and daughters. Fathers shook their heads suppressing the urge to cry. Something died in many that day, though they still move around. The white in our national flag turned red.

 The nation stood awake watching videos of various bloodsheds. Our mental health strained. Our hands were numb, we didn’t know what to do. Who do we run to when those meant to protect us are the ones ending our lives?. who do we call when the ones who we put in power are the ones tormenting us?.

 That day, that night, so many hopes were dashed. The warrior in us died without further protest, our voices became feeble, unshed tears makes our lungs tight. Please tell me, is it an offence to ask for what is rightfully one’s?. For so many years the youths of the country have been subjected to brutality at the hands of the police. They are treated like animals and so many lives have been lost from being manhandled by these officers.

 Being young and rich is a crime, dressing well is a crime, owning a laptop is a crime, wearing shades and other accessories is the same as being a fraudster to them. Yes, we have some bad eggs that involve themselves in these cyber crimes but do we judge a whole with a part?.

It all started with another killing of innocent youth by the notorious "Special anti-robbery squad" popularly known as "Sars". we've asked for the group to be disbanded in time past but the government kept on relating with us with deceit. lies about it being disbanded only for them to resurge with more venom a few weeks after. A single tweet birth a protest like we’ve never seen before. We tagged it #EndSars. we said enough is enough, we can no longer go on like this. We gathered in tens, hundreds and thousands. Those who couldn’t go out on the street joined on social media. Twitter was the meeting setting ground. Celebrities all over the world were in solidarity with us. Rihanna, Beyonce, John boyega, Chance the rapper, Lil baby, Trey Songz to mention just a few all supported the movement. Our country Nigeria is known for its great people and they couldn’t watch while they suffer. They sent their support, Twitter gave us an emoji and monetary funds came in, in form of crypto.

 what started as a fight against police brutality turned into a fight against bad Government. we asked for a change, asked for our rights, asked for a change that we desire. We stooped the activities in the country for days, slept outside, shared foods among ourselves, this kind of love and support has not been seen in years. They gave us a name or we gave ourselves a name rather - “The Soro soke” generation (Speak out loud generation). Our resolve can never be broken, we stayed hungry for days. Never has there been a more peaceful protest than this in the country's history. While at it, we exposed so many wrongdoings of our so-called leaders, the hidden palliatives in houses of various leaders are elders was exposed for all to see. little did we know they had something planned for us.

 In the late hours of Tuesday 20th of October 2020, the youths were out again. Ready to keep vigil at the Lekki toll gate, but the unexpected happened. At first, they removed all the CCTV cameras at the toll gate, banned TV stations from broadcasting it, lied to international bodies. They refuted all allegations thrown their way with lies and even went ahead to rebrand "SARS" as "SWAT". We refused, once beaten twice shy, they say. we are not ready to be deceived like before.

Suddenly Gunmen came from nowhere and started shooting sparingly at the unarmed youths protesting peacefully. So many innocent youths died, young ones were sent to an early grave, so many hearts were shattered, hope quenched and destiny destroyed. Till today no explanation has been given as to the whereabouts of the shooters who were in military wear and who ordered the shooting. Instead, our government placed a ban on the two biggest weapons we had. They placed a ban on Twitter and also ban banks from involving in any crypto transactions.

 We promised not to give up, we promise to vote them out ,come 2023, but it looks like we’ve forgotten all these promises. The blood of the innocent youths who died on the 20th of October year 2020 has gone to waste?. We the “soro soke” generation haven't registered for PVC. We are so pessimistic that some say negative things and even pray for the country not to be better. We believe no matter who we elect, be it youth or old, things will remain the same. If you are one of these sets of people that have given up on the country then you are not worthy to be called a Nigerian. Let’s not let the event that happened the day the sun set at noon to go in vain.

 Thanks for reading! 🇳🇬💚🇳🇬

 It took me hours to complete this piece. I was in tears while writing. Remembering the friends I lost to this act of tyranny by our government. It was hard to conjure two words together without tears flowing. I hope the blood of the innocent cries for justice from their grave.

Checking readcash this morning I realized one of my brothers has written something on it, you can check his out too. https://read.cash/@Abhay/20-10-2020-lekki-massacre-endsars-protest-2bb94fd3

 

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2 years ago

Comments

Hola chico feliz, te saludo, te leo y te escribo desde Venezuela. Me he sentido muy identificada con tu articulo pues no es un secreto para nadie que la historia de mi pais se ha visto manchada con mucha sangre de luchadores en su gran mayoria jovenes por ver una Venezuela prospera e independiente. La juventud constituye una fuerza social muy importante para un pais y cuando leo lo que narras que le hicieron a tus amigos, me causa un profundo dolor... No desmayen! No desistan! "Los que mueren por la vida no pueden llamarse muerto"...Ustedes como jovenes van a marcar la diferencia en su pais pues son mayoria. El gobierno en su afan de poder, siempre va a seguir tomando acciones de ese tipo pero ustedes cuentan con un arma que ellos no podran quitarles y es la educación...manténganse estudiando esa es una forma para combartirlos. Me encanto que nos contaras todo lo que paso ese dia en Nigeria. Regalanos mas publicaciones como estas. Saludos

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2 years ago

This is so painfully similar to some of the episodes that have been experienced in my country protesting against the government. Many innocent lives were lost for nothing. I'm so sorry for the loss of your friends.

I can understand the anger and frustration that this causes and the helplessness feeling in the face of what the government does. But let's not lose hope for a better future for our countries one day.

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2 years ago

Aww ..t's really sad that many youths was gone in an instant ..It's really painful and I hope that justice will be serve for them to be in peace ..I know that their souls are not in peace now and still crying and shouting for their purpose and justice.

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2 years ago

I never knew it's 1year already But to be serious about that day was very brutal day And yet our government sees it as nothing and they even claimed that no one does I just wish God can reset this Nigeria alone

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2 years ago

Siento mucho tu dolor amigo, te entiendoaunque no he participado un marchas o concentraciones de ese tipo, si las he apoyado y visto como a1ui en mi país se ha vivido mucho de eso durante varios años. Ya la gente está cansada de tanto luchar,perder a sus hijos y familiares por una lucha por el bien de todos el gobierno para cubrirse las espaldas y quedarse atornillados en el poder han hecho atrocidades contra la población.

Que Dios le dé el descanso eterno a todas esas personas que arriesgaron su vida y la perperdiwron por el bienestar de todos.

$ 0.04
2 years ago

I'm very sure that their blood that was shed by the government will not be in vain. A great change is here already

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2 years ago

It's sad and hard to be proud of being a Nigerian because every government failed us and it keeps getting worse. We can't demand for justice and accountability. We can't be young and rich. We can't use good things because they want to keep many of us impoverished so they can control us by tossing stipends to us. It's a shame because they know we know and still, they don't care about anything but their pockets. Even animals treat those they have power over better, how much more humans.

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2 years ago

That's the painful part. They no longer hide or lie intelligently. They do and say whatever they like not minding if we know it's a lie or not.

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2 years ago

They just don't care at all. It's sad.

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2 years ago

It was a real dreadful day

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2 years ago

This is sad😔😔. We do not deserve this oppression. We will not be silenced. We will not soon forget. We deserve better. This is well written and accurately depicted. You have done well drawing attention to this and not keeping silent about it. I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you for sharing.

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2 years ago

We’ll never forget this day in Nigeria It’s a memorable day to us and it’s so painful how they are shooting at protesters today again Nigeria is bleeding 😭 God help our country

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2 years ago

I remember this because some share about the bloodshed in your country here in read.cash, this is just so cruel. Those people who we thought will protect us is actually the one who will give pain to you. I just hope those people in right time will rot in hell 😥

$ 0.02
2 years ago

Reading this gave me pain and goosebumps too. I am sorry to hear about those who died during the peaceful revolution last year. If they have not been given justice here, I believe the Heavens will bring it to them at the right time. It's so saddening to know that police were the ones who did it when they should be the ones protecting civilians.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

I remember today, I cried...inshort I can't type anymore...

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2 years ago

While I was reading my heart is crying, I am praying for the betterness of your Country. There are so many lives has been waste. And they need and deserved justice to it.

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2 years ago

It was a very sad and painful to read bro, if the police are the one who's doing a violence who will protect the citizens? I know that God will welcome with open hand to those people who died

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2 years ago

I can feel your pain bro, I remember that day, I couldn't sleep, I was in tears and agony when I was seeing those videos posted online. Only God can intervene in this country cos our government are the devil themselves.

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2 years ago

Difficult to read friend. I can't tell you anything else. Very strong everything I have finished reading. ☹️

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2 years ago

It will forever be in our memories. Innocent heroes that came up with a peaceful protest were massacred by the blood thirsty devils,I watched a video of a civilian running for his life and in a blink of an eye he was lying in his blood. It was a sad moment for all Nigerians. Now we hope for a better Nigeria with GOD intervention.

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2 years ago

If the labor of our heroes past has already gone in vain, that of those youths shall never be in vain. I believe God is watching and thus country will be a better place. The sad news I am hearing now is that three civilians and two policemen lost their lives today in Lagos. Some went out to protest peacefully in honor of those who lost their lives last year.

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2 years ago

This day will forever be in our hearts We will never forget Our country isn’t worth dying for Rip to the fallen heroes We love them!! No one will ever forget the Black Tuesday

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2 years ago

I also touched everything you said in my homeland, unfortunately politics is very cruel, and in order to achieve its goals, it does a lot of terrible and incomprehensible disasters to people and their loved ones...

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2 years ago

I am sad again to hear about what happened one year ago today, the ones who were appointed for the security of people were killing them in this way. All the CCTV cameras were removed to hide from world, what was happening there, but I am sure the Almighty was watching all this and he will surly punish them on the day of judgment.

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2 years ago

Thanks a lot brother for reminding us with the past memories of our loved ones who died championing our cause for a right to good life, good government, better education, right to equality of life and other social amenities plus a request to an end to Sars brutality and all forms of governmental maladministrations. This day, we all stood tall and sought for our equal right to life, and enjoy all social amenities that have been denied us for donkey years ever since the inception of This unfortunate entity called Nigeria that has been messed up by the so called founding fathers who deemed it fit to say in the most unceremonious and uncharateristic impundence that they own Nigeria lolzz...what an absurd stupidity of the highest order ever. Well our people took to the streets in protests for all the above mentioned good things of life that should be evenly distributed but were on this day, shot by the blood sucking demons of the men and women on uniforms who are of course the tools and objects of evil that are used to instill fear in us so that we will no longer remember that we indeed have a right to good life and many many but wait a minute brother, the struggle and our aluta continues even for times indefinite. We must ever continue to fight for our rights irrespective of how hard they try to stop us, they will never as the blood of all those that were shot at the lekki toll gate will never stop crying for justice😭😭😭😭😭😭

$ 0.05
2 years ago

Only God can Consol the family of the deceased, so many dreams were cut short so many families lost their brothers, sisters, uncles,and nephews what a day October 20th 2020

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2 years ago

I want to say alot but I'm short of words on this

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2 years ago

My heart has been bleeding all morning. Our Fallen Heroes shall never be forgotten. 20-10-20, a day to be remembered by all Nigerians as a wake up call to the birth of a new nation.

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2 years ago

reading your article broke my heart.

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2 years ago

reading this makes my heart ache, this is so painful and heartbreaking. May the soul of those innocent youth will finally find their peace

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2 years ago

I also read a post about this on noisecash. That's saddening. Your government should listen to the youth's voices... For sure, the bereaved families are mourning today.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

They are deaf to our cries. I only pray we the youths come out to exercise our rights when it's time to vote

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2 years ago

The most painful part of it all is that people are giving up on the country by the day, refusing to do their part and still they sit and blame the leaders and others for the dearth of the nation. It is appalling, like you said, some of us do not deserve to be called Nigerians

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2 years ago

The blood of our fallen heroes never be in vain.

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2 years ago

Brother you have said it all I don’t even know if I have anything left to say than just that we have been brutalized not just physically but emotionally. These government officials are playing God because they feel like they can do and undo but we will never give up never and we will Never forget !!! Soro so ke!!!

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2 years ago

Yes you our dear brothers and sisters will continue to live in our memories in our hearts forever and ever amen. Your lives were forcefully taken away from you due to some in sensibilities of all those in power so that no one will ever stop them from carrying out their criminalities and brings ng about an equal justice to us all but in all, we must have our rights and ensure we will have it no matter how hard they may try to stop us.

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2 years ago

Thanks for the mention. May the soul of the deceased rest in peace. Nigeria has failed them, we will do our path by remembering them every 20th of October

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2 years ago

A lot of people died that day but the government denied knowing anything about it.. my condolence to the family of those who lost their lives during the protest.

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2 years ago

It was a gory sight where lawful citizens are protesting against police brutality, injustice and generally, bad governance.

To have shot live bullets at protesters in this 21st century is a big blow to our nascent democracy.

The protest started on 8th October, 2021, and exactly three days into the protest, the government ordered a shoot at sight order which led to the killing of promising leaders of tomorrow. To mark the day, groups of social activists around the country a staging a new phenomenal protest around the Lekki toll plaza. It will be by continuous car horn.

endbadgovernance

endpolicebrutality

endelectionmalpractices

$ 0.00
2 years ago

I hope we don't forget people that died that day

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2 years ago

I remember vividly about this incident how it happened it really pained me alot to be sincere the government aren't playing the right role they should play.

$ 0.02
2 years ago

It was a sad day...i lost a friend that day

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2 years ago

A very nice write-up to honour a year that we lost some heroes... Great love from our heart towards their families too... Only the affected can explain better of the grief... But our hearts are with them❤️

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2 years ago

Exactly! Only the affected. it hurt me to see some people still in denial.

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2 years ago