The Lagos State Police Command used tear gas to disperse protesters who gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate on Sunday to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests. The protesters, who began assembling around 8:30 a.m., carried banners and placards demanding the full implementation of recommendations made by judicial panels established after the 2020 protests.
Eyewitness videos captured scenes of chaos as protesters fled the area when police began firing tear gas. Shots rang out as the crowd scattered, leading to injuries and arrests.
Excel, one of the protesters, described his experience while speaking to PUNCH Online: “They have started firing tear gas at us. I fell into the gutter; I was hit on the head.”
Another protester, Bayo Are, shared his ordeal: “I was hit too. I’m not really injured, just a few scratches on my body. Some people have also been arrested.”
Despite the police presence and the attempt to disperse the crowd, the protesters remained determined to voice their concerns over the lack of action on the panel’s recommendations.
The #EndSARS movement began in October 2020, when thousands of Nigerian youths took to the streets in major cities, protesting against the widespread abuses committed by officers of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The protests reached a critical point at the Lekki Toll Gate, where the intervention of the Nigerian military led to reported casualties and injuries among the demonstrators.
In the aftermath of the violent crackdown, judicial panels were set up across various states to address the protesters’ demands and investigate incidents like the Lekki Toll Gate shootings. However, nearly four years later, protest leaders have expressed frustration over the slow implementation of many of the panels’ recommendations, which they say has left the grievances unaddressed.
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Benjamin Hundeyin, the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, defended the police action, explaining that the force was necessary to prevent disruptions to traffic at the toll gate.
“They were told to disperse, but they were adamant; we had to use minimal force to disperse them,” Hundeyin stated, adding that the goal was to maintain order rather than confront the protesters.
The dispersal of the protesters has once again drawn attention to the lingering issues surrounding the #EndSARS movement. Many of the protesters insist that until the recommendations of the judicial panels are fully implemented, they will continue to demand justice for the victims of police brutality and accountability from the Nigerian government.
Despite the challenges and the confrontations with law enforcement, the protesters remain resolute in their mission to keep the memory of #EndSARS alive and to call for meaningful changes in policing practices across Nigeria.