One year after the eruption of protests across parts of the country, youths marked its first anniversary, raising questions about unresolved issues. But first, the protests were largely peaceful, although the police arrested quite a few persons; and used teargas to disperse the crowds.

This anniversary lacked the idealism, defiance or even the destructive capacities of last year. It was tame by comparison and scope; as it was largely a Lagos and Abuja affair. It did not start at 8am as scheduled but about 9am. When it was 10am, the police discontinued the protests.

The arrests, including journalists, gave a sour air to the democratic tenor of the event. And it also gave an impression of the police as a repressive force. Some police officers became ruthless with some innocents, including the incident with an Uber driver.

In spite of this, however, the EndSARS protesters would be wrong to expect that a measure of surveillance and suspicion, from the authorities, should not attend the memorial given the memories of last year.

The protests began with great enthusiasm, and youths, especially university graduates and youths with degrees, elevated its stature. So lofty was it that that the governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, became a de facto emissary of the youths to the President, Muhammadu Buhari.

The president promptly agreed to scrap the notorious police force known as SARS. He also promised to address some of the complaints, a five-point agenda. Afterwards, it was no longer clear whether it was a five-point agenda because various positions and demands suffused the protests.

It revealed a major flaw of the youth. They fought shy of organising themselves around a leader or group of leaders. All we saw was a set of vocal young men and women who tried to inspire but took no responsibility. So fantastical were they at times that they tried to idealise the concept of a movement without a leader.

After its peaceful phase, the nation started witnessing evidence of violence. Arson, beatings of innocents and looting replaced what was a responsible advertisement for a generation. The worst of the young men overtook the fortitude, refinement and order of the earlier ferment with bands of rambunctious roughnecks who saw an opportunity to set the country back and cast a slur on their own demographic.

In Lagos, for instance, major hotels, a shopping mall, many police stations, including this newspaper and TV Continental were torched. Big motor parks still bear the imprint of that barbarous time with many transport buses amounting to billions of Naira lying prostrate in Oyingbo and Berger. These were buses of the masses destroyed by the masses.

This was followed by the looting of palliatives meant for distribution to the people because of the economic devastation of COVID-19.

However, the incident at Lekki toll gate has remained a sore point. Up till now, the narrative that it was a massacre is pushed but without evidence of a list backed with real names, family members, pictures and other proofs. The CNN broadcast a report that even the United States government refuted.

We must note that the Federal Government’s promise to review police welfare has not happened – and it is taking too long. Only Lagos State has on record paid back victims of SARS over the years to the tune of over N400 million.

The generation may have failed itself. Still, the damage scars remain; and it is the duty of the government to start restitution. Lagos is in the forefront of this. The federal government and other states should follow.

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