Wednesday 28 October 2020

Formula One star Lewis Hamilton lends voice to #ENDSARS campaign


By Akeem Lawal

SIX-TIME Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton has joined a host of international superstars lending their voices to the #EndSARS campaign in Nigeria.


For nearly two weeks angry young Nigerians have taken to the streets, blocking major roads across cities in Africa's most populous nation.

 

They marched in tens of thousands chanting "Enough is Enough" against police brutality and violence.


 

The group's initial demands were for a notorious police unit known as the Special Anti Robbery Squad, or SARS, to be shut down, but the marches have since morphed into protests campaigning for police reform and an end to bad governance in the West African country.

 

On Sunday, Hamilton uploaded a T-shirt with Nigerian map and #ENDSARS inscription on his social media handles including Twitter and Instagram to help raise awareness for the campaign and seek justice for victims of said brutality.

 

“We all have a responsibility to educate ourselves and raise awareness of the tragedies happening in the world around us and take action where we can. The recent events in Nigeria are a human rights crisis,” he said alongside the picture.

 

Hamilton then won for a record-breaking 92nd time in Formula 1 to become the driver with the most race wins in history at the Portuguese Grand Prix latter on Sunday.

 

Two weeks after equaling the huge haul of 91 wins set by Michael Schumacher in 2006, Hamilton now holds the prestigious record outright with a victory that moves him potentially just two more races away from drawing level with the German great as a seven-time world champion.

 

Hamilton leads the Drivers' Championship by 77 points with five races to go and just 130 points left to play for.

 

Hamilton ultimately won by a dominant 25 seconds from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas on F1's Portimao debut but was made to work for it in the first 20 laps after dropping from first to third in a dramatic start to the race.

 

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