The delightful memory of being shot at by the esteemed members of the Nigerian police force and soldiers! How could I ever forget that moment during the 2014 protest against the unjust hike in school fees at OAU? Thanks to their generous act of firing rubber bullets, one lucky student had the privilege of being hit. A memento of the Nigerian Police Force’s commitment to peaceful discourse and democratic values. I salute you, officers!
My fond memories of being subjected to a brutal beating by the fearless members of FSARS in 2016. How could I ever forget the exquisite pain of their rods and machetes raining down upon me as I lay on the floor writhing in pain? Their mocking remark of “Human right” as they pummeled me was the epitome of sophistication by the police in carrying out their duty to protect and serve. Isn’t it?
In 2019, another unforgettable incident occurred when the police attached to the IBEDC, armed to the teeth, decided to pay a surprise visit to the house where I rented a room. Being the audacious defender of ‘human rights’ (lol) that I am, I dared to question their decision to brandish guns in the sanctity of my own home. Their response? A whipping session with wires and Pankere. The memory reminds me once again of the superior reasoning and exemplary conduct of our esteemed law enforcement agents.
I was ‘disciplined’ innovatively, and severally.
The memories of the #EndSARS protests in Osogbo in October 2020. How can one forget the police’s thoughtful gesture of bringing along their beloved companions, the NURTW thugs, to spice up our peaceful protest against police brutality? The harmonious collaboration between Governor Oyetola, the police, and notable thugs, led by Asiri Eniba. The injuries sustained and lives lost by some of our fellow protesters were just small sacrifices for the greater good of their vibrant partnership. Am I right? Should we forget the unfortunate casualties of this collaboration because Seun slapped a policeman? That caress of Seun’s palms on the policeman’s cheek is too much of a sacrifice for the policeman. Right? It’s too much of a sacrifice for all the thousand punches and pummeling by the police force.
I’m too angry and overwhelmed at the ongoing hypocrisy to write analytical articles, but this satire is calming. Anger, in its purest form, is not bad. It’s just a delightful cocktail of emotions that can lead us down many fascinating paths. I feel fortunate to be angry sometimes. At times, the right anger is proof that you’re still alive. It’s proof that we are not dead in apathy. However, in an illustration that challenges the dominant narrative about anger: ANGER + DESIRE FOR CHANGE = COURAGE. Yes, you heard it right. When anger and the audacious desire for change come together, they form an unstoppable force called courage.
It takes a special kind of bravery to channel anger towards meaningful action, to rise above the apathy that fears instill in our hearts. Let us celebrate those who dare to combine their anger with a genuine yearning for a better world. Let us celebrate Seun Kuti who channeled his anger into a shot-on-target slap. In a country that thrives on complacency, we must be grateful to Seun Kuti for delivering that resounding slap to awaken us from our slumber. His slap reminded us that anger can be a catalyst for revolutionary change. I want to give my utmost gratitude to Seun Kuti, the true heir of the legendary Fela Kuti because that “resounding slap” to our collective consciousness was long overdue.
If our speeches will not penetrate their eardrums, is it not sensible to upgrade to slaps that reverberate through their eardrums? We’ve had strikes, occupy protests, sit-ins, stand-ins, walk-ins, etc, is it possible to have slap-ins? Like a challenge on social media streaming every oppression by a policeman while slapping them. Will that be too much? They must hear our message of protest one way or the other. We must heal our society one way or the other. That was a slap of healing! In the lingo of Yoruba Pastors ‘Igbaju Iyanu’. Yes, it is clear from the video that Seun Kuti did ‘light’ that policeman’s face, but it was a slap of enlightenment that has gotten everyone talking about Police reform and ending police brutality once again after the ruling class tried to distract us with electoralism and their tribal politics. We are back to talking about the issues that matter to the majority poor class, thanks to Seun. Seun’s slap is the reason why Lagos Police Commissioner and Mr. Hundeyin went on a publicity visit to that bike man who was beaten and bloodied by police officers taking away his tricycle at Abule Egba, rather than sit in their air-conditioned office.
The slap that struck a chord deep within our collective conscience. A surprisingly sweet and satisfying expression of our suppressed anger. It reminded us that physical beatings and unjust detainments are indeed unpleasant, as every one of us tries to display some self-righteousness in condemnation of the slap. It is a testament to our national hypocrisy that the sound of bullets hitting peaceful protesters is a mere echo in comparison to that thunderous slap of Seun. His slap carried the weight of a thousand revolutions, reminding us that change is just one emotional reaction away – one spontaneous exemplary action away.
What did we expect to run through Seun Kuti’s mind when he survived the near-death experience with the police officer? “And now, the same police force that has been a constant presence in my life, wreaking havoc and instilling fear, has turned their attention towards me and my nuclear family. How thoughtful of them to try and run us off the bridge. Let me show them I am a disciplined revolutionary. Let me maintain my composure and go and report calmly, and have no reaction to their blatant attempt at murdering me and my family,” Seun Kuti should have thought in his mind.
Let us assume without conceding it is a lie that the drunk policeman almost killed him and his family by running them off the third Mainland bridge, is Seun’s slap enough justice for all the police brutality that the Nigerian government meted out on his grandma, his father and him as a toddler – a brutality they never got justice for. Obasanjo, who commanded massacres from Odi to Biafra and to Kalakuta still walks free and celebrated.
Thank you, Seun Kuti, for preserving yourself and the highly esteemed lineage that has produced the most fearless activists for our country, From Madam Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, to Baba Fela, to you.
Thank you for delivering a message of resistance against police brutality and impunity to the literal ears of the Nigerian police.
Thank you for that equalizing and balancing vawulence. Thank you for reminding Nigerian revolutionaries that violence is not bad in itself, and peace is not good in itself. Thank you for reminding us to rock the boat or else we won’t survive the storm of repression.
Thank you, man.
Thank you once again.
(Omole Ibukun writes from Abuja, Nigeria, and can be contacted on 09167636201)
Love this, the slap is for me.
Haha ?