“To our Nigerian sisters and brothers, we stand with you.”
In a statement shared to her Instagram Tuesday night, Beyoncé said she was “heartbroken” over the “senseless brutality” being seen in the country.
“There has to be an end to SARS,” she said. “We have been working on partnerships with youth organizations to support those protesting for change. We are collaborating with coalitions to provide emergency healthcare, food, and shelter. To our Nigerian sisters and brothers, we stand with you.”
Protests have been consistent in recent weeks and were spurred by allegations of illegal detainments and other disturbing acts of violence by Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officers. Earlier this month, the police unit was dissolved, though protesters have argued that much more needs to be done.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International said they had received “credible but disturbing evidence of excessive use of force” against protesters.
“While we continue to investigate the killings, Amnesty International wishes to remind the authorities that under international law, security forces may only resort to the use of lethal force when strictly unavoidable to protect against imminent threat of death or serious injury,” a rep said.
A message from Beyoncé. pic.twitter.com/5Ng7JF2stf
— BeyGOOD (@BeyGood) October 21, 2020
