The #EndSARS movement continues at the 2021 Headies

Much to Nigeria’s government displeasure, it’s now somewhat obvious that the #EndSARS movement is not coming to an end anytime soon.

It might not be in the form of street marches and protests, but the consciousness continues with young Nigerians and any platform that thrives off their interest.

The Headies, Nigeria’s most significant and longest-running music award, is a platform that thrives on pop-culture. And it stayed on-brand with the various tributes to the #EndSARS movement at their 2021 edition, which was held on Sunday, February 21.

It was straight away from the very start of the night’s events. The Headies made reference to the movement with the satirical performance by a group of female-led, young Nigerian dancers.

With songs like ‘Zombie’ by Fela, ‘Freedom’ by Beyonce and ‘Great Nation’ by Timi Dakolo, they adequately dramatized the unfortunate events around the EndSARS protests and the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre, delivered a tribute to Feminist Coalition and ended the sequence by lifting the young women on the shoulders of men.

There was an impression of Babatunde Raji Fashola’s infamous camera moment at the Lekki tollgate and the protest suppression in Nigeria.

Then co-host Bovi made the most significant statement of the night with a piece of clothing. In his last apparel of the night, the ace comedian wore a white shirt with the image of a blood-stained green-white-green flag of Nigeria.

The shirt was to pay tribute to those who lost their lives when military men opened fire on #EndSARS peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on Tuesday, October 20, 2020.