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ABSTRACT
In 2020, ignited by rising levels of police brutality towards youth in Nigeria, the #ENDSARS movement erupted in Nigeria. Protestors rallied against the nation’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), calling for its disbandment after people became fed up with the brutality it unleashed on innocent citizens. However, the issues raised by the #ENDSARS movement are not new, and the movement is reminiscent of decades of organizing against Nigerian police forces. Drawing on archival data, this paper investigates the nature of police violence against Black women in Nigeria under colonialism between 1925 and 1930. This article examines two separate instances of Black women’s organizing in southeastern Nigeria against market tolls that particularly affected women. In both instances, their cries were met with brutal force from the police which prompted new rounds of activism from the women. Findings reveal that police violence against Black women was gendered, racialized, and capitalist. In turn, this paper seeks to uncover what the Movement for Black Lives has termed the ‘vestiges of colonialism’ in the system of policing in Nigeria.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
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Domale Keys
Domale Keys, is an assistant professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Alberta. Her research areas include Black women’s nonviolent and transnational organizing around issues of race and gender-based violence. Her upcoming book For Our Survival received the National Women’s Studies Association’s First Book Prize.