Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command disrupted a memorial procession marking the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, firing tear gas to disperse a peaceful gathering at the Lekki Tollgate on Tuesday.
Dawn Herald gathered that officers arrived ahead of the scheduled memorial walk, dispersing tear gas that forced residents, journalists, and political figures to run for safety. Among those caught in the confrontation were two Lagos State governorship candidates, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
After the disruption by the police, several participants reportedly sustained injuries and struggled to breathe due to the heavy clouds of tear gas. The chaos also resulted to a massive gridlock along the expressway, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill.
The Enough is Enough (EiE) movement, which organised the procession, was forced to abandon 15 wreaths initially brought to the venue. The wreaths were meant to honour victims of the 2020 nationwide demonstrations against police brutality, with one dedicated specifically to Pelumi Onifade, a journalist shot dead in Lagos during the peak of the civil unrest.
The disrupted memorial commemorates the exact date of the October 20, 2020, shootings at the toll plaza, which then attracted international condemnation and increased the demand to hold security agencies accountable.
The nationwide #EndSARS demonstrations began as a citizen-led movement against extortion, unlawful arrests, and extrajudicial abuses, prompting the Federal Government to disband the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Despite the disbandment, the casualties recorded at the Lekki plaza remain a highly contentious issue. According to the comprehensive report submitted by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, nine protesters were confirmed dead following the military and police crackdown.
The judicial panel officially identified the deceased as Victor Sunday Ibanga, Abuta Solomon, Jide, Olalekan Abideen Ashafa, Olamilekan Ajasa, Kolade Salami, Folorunsho Olabisi, Kenechukwu Ugoh, and Nathaniel Solomon.
Additionally, four individuals, Abiodun Adesanya, Ifeanyi Nicholas Eji, Tola, and Wisdom, were listed as officially missing and presumed dead.
Six years later, the unresolved circumstances surrounding these fatalities and ongoing incidents of state force continue to fuel public demands for justice and reform of the policing system of the country.
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