New research paper explores the power of artistic protest, testimony in “END SARS Rhythms”
By Wole Adedoyin
A groundbreaking academic paper titled “Poetic Protest and Testimony in Endsars Rhythms” has been jointly authored by Jayne I. Owan and Onyekachi Peter Onuoha, from the prestigious Department of English and Literary Studies at the University of Calabar. The research delves into the powerful use of art, particularly poetry, as a medium of protest and testimony during the EndSARS movement in Nigeria.
The paper sheds light on the multifaceted role of EndSARS Rhythms, which serves as both an avenue for entertainment and a medium for documenting the causes of brutalization faced by the Nigerian people, as well as questioning the moral fiber of the society. Amidst threats to life, Nigerians turned to poetry as a potent form of protest to challenge police brutality in the country. The study highlights how art plays a significant role in social movements and resistance to police violence, acting as a vehicle for poetic protest and testimony.
The research involves a comprehensive textual analysis of a digital memorial, revealing how EndSARS Rhythms effectively preserves memory through art while documenting the exploitation and brutality suffered by the youth at the hands of the Nigeria Police Force. It unequivocally establishes EndSARS Rhythms as a poetic protest and testimony against police brutality.
One of the fundamental aspects of the paper is the incorporation of several poignant poems from EndSARS Rhythms that have become a literary testimony for victims of police brutality and survivors in Nigeria. Some of the notable poems featured in the research include “State Armed Robbers Squad (SARS)” by Frank Kaliati, “EndSARS! LAWMAKERS, OR LAWBREAKERS” by Olude Peter Sunday, “Talk True” by Nkiru Onyeyaforo, “Guns End Dreams” by Olawumi Oluwasogo, “EndSARS” by David Jonathan Inyang, “Homeland in Pain” by Enyia Lilian Nkechinyere, “How Our Lights were Put off” by Nwokeabia, Ifeanyi John, “Spare us! Spare us! By Adaji Elizabeth Mercy, “In Lekki, Heroes Prevailed…” by Merife, Chisom Victor, “To our heroes up” by Adefeyintola Adesegun, “Requiem for victims of Lekki Massacre ” by Chidiebere Enyia, “The night when doves cried” by Shola Balogun, “Inquest for freedom!” by Blessing Chinenye David’s and others.
Through the powerful poetic chronicles presented in EndSARS Rhythms, the movement emerges as a resolute protest against exploitation and brutality within Nigerian society. The poetic narratives eloquently implicate the Nigerian government and police as agents responsible for the subjugation and exploitation of the country’s youth. Each poem serves as a witness against the state, condemning the extra-judicial killing of numerous Nigerians.
The significance of the research paper lies in its portrayal of EndSARS Rhythms as a resilient and artistic response to social injustice and oppression. It underscores how the protest movement effectively utilised poetry as a means of expressing grievances, demanding accountability, and advocating for change. The poems themselves become a collective voice of resilience, providing solace to those affected by police brutality and giving hope for a brighter future.
The co-authors, Jayne I. Owan and Onyekachi Peter Onuoha, commend the courage and creativity displayed by the poets in EndSARS Rhythms, and express hope that this research will contribute to a deeper understanding of the power of art in shaping social movements.
The full research paper “Poetic Protest and Testimony in Endsars Rhythms” is available via https://jurnal.fs.umi.ac.id/index.php/tamaddun-life/article/view/161 and https://jurnal.fs.umi.ac.id/index.php/tamaddun-life/article/view/161/129.
END SARS RYTHMS edited by Terseer Sam Baki and Wole Adedoyin and published in electronic and paperback by the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) in New York, USA. It was a collaborative effort of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers, SYNW, and the International Human Rights Arts Festival, IHRAF, to harness the thoughts, feelings and responses of Nigerian artists and creative writers and the international writing community on the theme of police brutality, assault and battery.
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