‘We need to live’: Young Nigerians on why they are protesting

Rose, 28, florist: "For me, ending SARS was initially the real issue - but not anymore. Some protesters in different parts of the country were killed by police officers recently, so SARS is not my focus. We need to end police brutality in Nigeria; this is why I am protesting." [Etinosa Yvonne/Al Jazeera]

Abuja, Nigeria – For a week now, people across Nigeria have united their voices to protest against police brutality and demand justice for victims. Mobilised through social media, the youth-led rallies in several parts of the country initially targeted the federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious police unit long accused of harassment, extortion and extrajudicial killings. After days of demonstrations, authorities on Sunday announced the scrapping of SARS and the redeployment of its officers to other police units. However, the announcement fell short of expectations for many protesters, who have since pledged to continue fighting for accountability, an end to police violence and a complete overhaul of the security apparatus. Al Jazeera met protesters from all walks of life in the streets of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Here is what they had to say (some of the comments were slightly edited for brevity and clarity):