Anarchism as a Tool of Development: Lessons from the Endsars Protests

Abstract

Anarchism, when viewed from a positive angle, can be a tool for development in a progressive democratic society, and a veritable instrument in positively altering obsolete laws and institutions, when the proper lessons are drawn from the demands of the anarchists, and positive steps set up to address the issues brought to fore by the anarchy. Over the years, the Nigerian security architecture, especially the Nigeria Police, has witnessed constant decline with harassment, derogation of the human rights of members of society, extra-judicial killings and all manner of corruption becoming rife. Several demands on the government to nip the rising menace in the bud, and to positively position these agencies have not yielded the desired results. The EndSARS protest presented another opportunity to address the growing malaise.

The essence of this article is to examine the importance of anarchy to a progressive democratic society, highlight the role anarchy plays in altering obsolete laws and positively position state institutions. This article examines the adequacy of the government’s approach in addressing the issues that came to the fore during the protests and points out the need to effectively address those issues. This article recommends efficient reforms that must be adopted, in properly addressing the prevailing mischief the EndSARS protest brought to the fore.