Nigeria Police officers, on Tuesday morning, have fired tear gas to disperse residents, journalists and political figures who gathered at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos to commemorate victims of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Included in the number of the affected were Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, and Funso Doherty, identified in the report as a governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The memorial was organised by the Enough is Enough movement to honour Nigerians who lost their lives during the #EndSARS protests, which drew nationwide attention to allegations of police brutality and demands for police reform.
However, the gathering was disrupted before participants could proceed with the planned wreath-laying ceremony. Police officers deployed to the venue reportedly fired tear gas canisters, forcing members of the crowd to flee the area.
Footage shared by TheCable showed participants scrambling for safety as the tear gas spread across the tollgate.
The disruption came as Nigerians marked the sixth anniversary of the October 20, 2020, events at the Lekki Tollgate, a defining moment in the country’s recent history that continues to generate calls for justice, accountability and respect for citizens’ rights.
Six years on, the memories of the protests and the aspirations of the young Nigerians who demanded a better country remain significant in public discourse.
Their courage and demands for justice, dignity and good governance continue to shape conversations about Nigeria’s future.
