Nigerian skit maker and actor, Debo Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, has lamented the persistence of insecurity, hunger, poverty and corruption in Nigeria, six years after the #EndSARS protests.
The content creator expressed concern in a post on X on Tuesday while commemorating Nigerians who lost their lives during the October 20, 2020, demonstrations against police brutality and extrajudicial killings.
Mr Macaroni also lamented what he described as growing divisions among Nigerians, arguing that the country’s challenges should unite citizens rather than deepen existing divisions.
Reflecting on the state of the nation, he questioned whether Nigerians had fully recognised their collective power to demand accountability from their leaders.
“Six years later! We are still dealing with insecurity, hunger, poverty, lack of proper healthcare and the highest level of corruption and impunity. The saddest part is that we are even more divided as a people at a time when we should be most united,” he wrote.
He added, “I hope one day we truly realise the power that we have as citizens and stop allowing a few selfish individuals destroy the success and prosperity of the majority of us.”
The #EndSARS protests erupted in October 2020 as thousands of Nigerians took to the streets to demand an end to police brutality, particularly abuses associated with the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The demonstrations drew widespread national and international attention, with the Lekki tollgate in Lagos becoming a focal point of the protests following the reported shooting of demonstrators on October 20, 2020.
According to the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s report on the Lekki incident, nine people were confirmed dead, while four others were listed as missing and presumed dead.
Those listed as dead included Victor Sunday Ibanga, Abuta Solomon, Jide, Olalekan Abideen Ashafa, Olamilekan Ajasa, Kolade Salami, Folorunsho Olabisi, Kenechukwu Ugoh and Nathaniel Solomon.
The four people listed as missing and presumed dead were Abiodun Adesanya, Ifeanyi Nicholas Eji, Tola and Wisdom.
Six years on, Mr Macaroni’s message has renewed attention on the demands for accountability, improved public safety and better living conditions that shaped the #EndSARS protests.
