Six Years After Lekki, Police Fire Tear Gas at #EndSARS Memorial Gathering, Aborts Event

Police operatives use teargas to disperse a gathering at the Lekki Toll Gate during the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests. / Channels 

Tension erupted at the Lekki Toll Gate on Tuesday as police operatives fired tear gas to disperse activists and other Nigerians who had assembled to mark the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.

The gathering was organised to honour victims of the 2020 demonstrations and reflect on the movement that galvanized nationwide calls for an end to police brutality and accountability within the security sector.

The commemoration was cut short when security operatives deployed tear gas, forcing participants to flee the area.

Among those present were former Lagos State governorship candidates, Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Despite the disruption, participants reaffirmed their commitment to the ideals that inspired the #EndSARS movement, insisting that the quest for justice, accountability and comprehensive police reforms remains unfinished.
Calm later returned to the Lekki Toll Gate after the crowd dispersed.

The latest confrontation has reignited concerns over citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, particularly given the symbolic significance of the toll gate in Nigeria’s contemporary democratic history.

The incident comes six years after the October 2020 nationwide protests against police brutality, especially abuses linked to the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

What began as a youth-led movement quickly spread across the country, with the Lekki Toll Gate emerging as its most prominent rallying point.

On October 20, 2020, soldiers opened fire on demonstrators at the toll gate in an incident that remains one of Nigeria’s most contentious human rights issues. While the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry concluded that protesters were shot, injured and killed, the Lagos State Government rejected key aspects of the panel’s findings.

Tuesday’s incident is not the first anniversary clash at the toll gate. Similar confrontations have occurred in previous years. In 2021, police dispersed participants during a memorial procession organised by youths and celebrities, while another anniversary gathering in 2024 was also broken up with tear gas after demonstrators demanded implementation of recommendations made by judicial panels set up after the protests.

Although SARS was officially dissolved in October 2020, calls for accountability, compensation for victims and far-reaching police reforms have continued, ensuring that the #EndSARS movement remains a potent symbol of civic activism in Nigeria.