Nigerian Makeup Icon Apologised For Naming Product After #EndSARS Protest Slogan

Makeup icon Jackie Aina, an American-born Nigerian beauty and lifestyle YouTuber has apologised for naming candle product after the #EndSARS protest slogan, Sòrò Sókè.

Jackie is under fire for using a slogan associated with the Nigerian movement against police brutality as an "aesthetic" in her new candle collection.

The thirty-five years had been slammed by Nigerians especially on Twitter for using the slogan of the #EndSARS protest ’Sòrò Sókè’ for personal profits.

Aina, 35, started as a beauty YouTuber and is known for advocating for inclusivity for people of color in the makeup industry. After calling out the brand Too Faced for its limited shade range, Aina collaborated with the brand to expand its foundation collection to include darker skin tones.

On Thursday, Aina's home goods brand FORVR Mood announced four new candle fragrances, one of which was named "Sòro Sókè." The phrase, which translates to "Speak louder" in Yoruba, was a rallying cry used in demonstrations against police brutality in Nigeria.

Nigerian social media users have denounced the candle fragrance name as insensitive and criticized Aina for being slow to use her platform to boost the movement at the height of the protests. Aina's name was trending on Twitter on Friday.

Representatives for Aina and FORVR Mood did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

As of Friday afternoon, the listing for the “Sòro Sókè” candle no longer appears on FORVR Mood’s website. The product appears as "not available" at Sephora. A YouTube video promoting the product remains up.

The backlash against Aina, however, continues online.

Aina has been criticized for her silence on the #EndSARS movement, a youth-led campaign to disband Nigeria's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The police unit ran a "horrific reign of impunity," Amnesty International stated in a June 2020 report. The organization said it documented at least 82 cases of "torture, ill treatment and extra-judicial execution" between January 2017 and May 2020.

Activists have called for the disbanding of SARS for years. A video that circulated in early October 2020, appearing to show SARS officers fatally shooting a man, sparked protests against the police unit across Nigeria. The police unit was disbanded on Oct. 11, 2020 following global pressure, but demonstrations demanding law enforcement reform continued through the year.

The phrase “Sòro Sókè” was used as a rallying cry during the demonstrations, and became representative of the Nigerian movement against police brutality and corruption.