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By Alebiowu Kehinde
Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has revealed that the 2020 #EndSARS protests significantly changed the way she approaches activism.
Speaking during a recent interview, Omotola said the protests exposed her and her family to an intense level of hostility, including death threats directed at her children, an experience she described as unprecedented in her years of public advocacy.
According to the actress, while she was accustomed to criticism and threats due to her outspokenness, the situation escalated during #EndSARS when the threats became personal and extended to her family. She disclosed that individuals attempted to locate her physically at her home and place of work, a development that forced her to reassess her methods of engagement.
Omotola explained that the experience marked a turning point, making her more conscious of balancing activism with the safety of her loved ones. As a result, she said she has shifted away from frontline street protests to more strategic and behind-the-scenes advocacy, focusing on conversations, policy engagement and international partnerships.
Despite the change in approach, the actress stressed that she has not withdrawn from activism, but has instead chosen to engage in ways that are more deliberate and protective.
The #EndSARS movement, which began in October 2020 as nationwide protests against police brutality in Nigeria, drew widespread local and international attention and involved several public figures, including Omotola. For her, the movement remains a defining moment that reshaped how she lends her voice to social causes.
