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Lagos Police Fire Tear Gas at #EndSARS Sixth-Anniversary Memorial at Lekki Toll Gate
On the morning of Oct 20, Nigerian police fired tear gas at a gathering marking the sixth anniversary of the 2020 #EndSARS protests at Lagos's Lekki Toll Gate, dispersing the crowd. Two governorship candidates and several journalists were present, multiple Nigerian outlets reported.
Why it matters
The Lekki Toll Gate is the central landmark of the 2020 #EndSARS movement. Six years later, a wreath-laying ceremony honouring the dead was again broken up by police tear gas — the third anniversary commemoration dispersed by police, after 2021 and 2024.
Full report
According to multiple Nigerian outlets including thenaijawide, thetrumpet and The Port City News, a memorial organized by the Enough is Enough Movement gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on the morning of Oct 20 to lay wreaths for those who died in the 2020 protests. Police then fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, and the planned ceremony could not proceed as intended.
Those present included Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Lagos governorship candidate Funso Doherty, African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, along with journalists and civil society activists. As of the reports, the Lagos State Police Command had not issued an official explanation for the action.
The #EndSARS movement began in October 2020 against alleged abuses by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), leading to the unit's disbandment. On the night of Oct 20, 2020, soldiers opened fire on protesters at the toll gate; casualty figures and accountability remain disputed, with Amnesty International saying at least 12 protesters were killed that day.
The incident has renewed debate over Nigerians' constitutional right to peaceful assembly. Activists vowed to keep demanding justice for victims and comprehensive police reform.
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