CITIZENS COMPASS— The Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday, disrupted the 6th anniversary activities of the #EndSARS protests in the Lekki tollgate area of Lagos State.
The Police also fired teargas canisters at Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Lagos governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), his Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) counterpart, and Funso Doherty.
Both were among the residents and journalists witnessing the activities.
#EndSARS was a protest that took place in most parts of Nigeria particularly Lagos State, with the assemblage of many Nigerian youths in strategic parts of the country.
On October 20, 2020, the protests recorded casualties as security operatives fired shots at the protesters at Lekki Tollgate.
Tuesday being the 6th anniversary of the protests, some participants had gathered for a wreath-laying ceremony organised by the Enough is Enough (EiE) movement to commemorate this but the ceremony was disrupted just like that of 2020.
It was gathered that before the wreaths could be laid, a team of police officers had arrived at the tollgate ahead of the event to fire teargas canisters at the protesters.
The incident triggered panic, forcing participants to flee for safety. Some people were reportedly injured, while others struggled to breathe amid the teargas fumes. Traffic also began to build up along the busy expressway.
According to the report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the October 20, 2020, Lekki incident, nine people were confirmed dead, while four others were listed as missing and presumed dead.
Those listed as dead were Victor Sunday Ibanga, Abuta Solomon, Jide, Olalekan Abideen Ashafa, Olamilekan Ajasa, Kolade Salami, Folorunsho Olabisi, Kenechukwu Ugoh and Nathaniel Solomon.
The four people listed as missing and presumed dead were Abiodun Adesanya, Ifeanyi Nicholas Eji, Tola and Wisdom.
The organisers said they had brought 15 wreaths to the venue, including one in honour of Pelumi Onifade, a journalist who was shot dead in Lagos during the nationwide protests against police brutality.
The #EndSARS protests erupted across Nigeria in October 2020, drawing widespread condemnation of police misconduct and demands for accountability. The demonstrations prompted the Federal Government to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit widely criticised for alleged human rights violations.
Six years later, the planned wreath-laying ceremony at the Lekki tollgate was intended to honour those who lost their lives during the protests and keep their demands for justice and police accountability in public focus.
A trending video captured police officers firing teargas at the participants.
