Burna Boy
Protests erupted in Nigeria in October last year after videos of the police assaulting and, in one case, shooting dead a young Nigerian began circulating on social media. Protesters called for the disbandment of SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad), a notorious police unit whose actions have been described as torture by Amnesty International, yet who act with complete immunity in the country. What began as peaceful protests turned into violent confrontations with the police and an estimated 73 people lost their lives, according to Nigeria’s
This Day newspaper.
During clashes with police, the protesters could often be heard ad-libbing from one of this year’s hit songs, Davido’s ‘FEM’. This is surprising, as the song itself has no overt political connotations. Instead, it has a not-to-be-taken-too-seriously message of telling one’s lover to shut up if they talk too much, with much braggadocio too, Davido referring to his entourage as 30BG (‘30 Billion Gang’, their desirable bank account balance). Yet, such is its popularity in Nigeria, especially among the social media savvy youth who fuelled the protests, that the song’s meaning was flipped, protestors reciting lyrics at the police: ‘