Let me prepare your minds for what's about to happen as the #EndSarsProtests gain ground.

It is not going to be pretty, it will not always be this un-confrontational. It may get ugly.

It is our response to that ugliness that'll determine if we win or lose.

No oppressive government in the world will abandon what favours its elite and cronies easily.

They always fight back. Our current clime of police brutality, extortion and extra judicial killings favour many in the elite class. From those who get direct kickbacks

from the extortion and racketeering to those who use police to unlawfully arrest and detain their fellow citizens. From those who say the ENDSARS protests is being led by yahoo boys, to those who ask "Do you know who I am?" because they know you're only one call away from being

locked up because they wish it so.

These are the political and social elites in the society. The people who benefit from the irrational fear created by a culture of fatal policing.

And these people are powerful people, they are wealthy. They have the resources.

This system works for them because they understand that the moment we get over our fear of the police, so many things on which they depend on the brutal force of the police for, from getting a share of the extortion money to being able to restrict the freedom of their fellow man

will fail. This system benefits them and they'll like to keep it in place.

We would see a lot more people on the streets if it wasn't for the fear of being confronted by fatal force. Our politicians wants us to worry about our safety because its adds

an extra layer of protection from accountability.

In every oppressive state, the armed forces are the enforcers. They are the ones that help our rulers shield themselves from the anger of the common man. This is why a political office holder who was independently

voted in by his people whom he should feel safe amongst prefers to move around in a convoy of armed mopol blaring sirens and clearing traffic, so that he can pass before the people notice he's the one around.

They fear their people because they know the works of their hands

are evil.

They need the police for all these and many more, and the more we fear the police; the better. So it is a small price to pay if police officers randomly kill unarmed law abiding citizens.

Why else do you think they are so silent on police murdering their own people?

Because the system works for them.

I can imagine they are already organising on how to kill the protests. From threatening the leaders to deployment of brutal force that can instill the fear they need to keep plundering our resources in peace.

They are powerful people who have the resources. The poverty in the country means there are people who will throw away their dignity and common sense for the lowest sums of amount.

The first thing they'll do is pay counter protesters who will be given the assignment to get in

the face of actual protesters to provoke anger and violence. This will give the police the perfect cover to sway in and deploy deadly force.

The headlines will read "AntiSARS and ProSARS protesters "clash"...."

Meanwhile lives are already lost.

If that doesn't work or the

protests continues to gain ground.

They will activate their sleeper agents amongst us. Those who have spent years berating the government and criticizing politicians. Who have gained public goodwill by doing this but are actually on the payroll of our political elites.

They will ask them to take over the protests and present themselves as leaders. Then they'll call a meeting to start "dialogue", they'll actually be talking about how stupid we are and how much more money the protest leaders want.

Then the leaders will say the government has

agreed to reform SARS and that is the best we can get. We don't want more bloodshed. We want them to do their jobs correctly and they are very useful. As leaders, they advice us to all go home and let the dialogue continue.

That always works. But if somehow it doesn't,

then the full blown ugliness will begin. Protesters arrested in thier homes, shot at on the streets. The going narrative will be, since we have decided to not choose peace then they believe the criminals who are protesting against law enforcement have other motivations and they

as the government must protect the people of Nigeria by any means necessary.

These actions will come in waves and waves and times will get a lot harder for anyone who decides to speak up against police brutality.

If we manage to survive these waves and the international community and others come in to interfere. Most of our rulers are actually chickens. Without the police doing their dirty work, they'll be toothless. They fear being trapped in this country (Visa ban) more than anything.

If we get to this level of ugliness and the protests continue. They'll have no choice but to #EndSARS. And the implications of that will be a reverse in how citizens are approached when we demand change on anything. If we can take down their enforcers, we can push for policies

that'll lead to a better life for the average Nigerian.

But my fear is we do not have the heart for all these but then I may be wrong because I didn't think the protests will even begin.

Now they have and our actions going forward will determine if we continue to live in

a repressive regime or if we are willing to pay the price for a better country.

Many fear that the protests will lead to loss of lives and as valid as that is, we already die without protesting. At least now it counts for something and I hope the first person they shoot at will

spur an awakening in us and we will not stop until the lives of all those who have been kidnapped, extorted and killed by SARS is made to count towards securing a better country for ourselves and the generations after us.

The protests must only end after SARS is outlawed and ended, even if just for the symbolism of it.

Keep fighting!
We shall overcome!
Together we shall overcome!
Together we are indestructible!
They cannot kill an idea!

#EndSarsProtests
#EndSARSImmediately
#EndSARS