Police Use Teargas to Disperse #EndSARS Memorial at Lekki Toll Gate

Police officers fired teargas at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on Tuesday. This action disrupted a memorial for victims of the #EndSARS protests and stopped attendees from laying wreaths.

The Punch newspaper reported that residents, journalists, and political figures had gathered for the event organized by the Enough is Enough movement when officers started firing teargas canisters.

Among those affected were Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Lagos State, and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

A video showed participants running for safety as the teargas spread in the area, according to the report.

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who arrived at the toll gate at 11:15 a.m. saw police officers present but could not find any of the event organizers. The reporter also noticed the smell of teargas but could not figure out where it was coming from at that time.

The organizers had planned to hold a wreath-laying ceremony at 11 a.m. to honor those who died or went missing during the 2020 protests.

They intended to lay 15 wreaths: nine for people believed to have died in connection with the Lekki incident, four for those missing and presumed dead, one for journalist Pelumi Onifade, and another for unidentified victims.

The nine people listed as dead included Victor Sunday Ibanga, Abuta Solomon, Jide, Olalekan Abideen Ashafa, Olamilekan Ajasa, Kolade Salami, Folorunsho Olabisi, Kenechukwu Ugoh, and Nathaniel Solomon.

Those reported missing and presumed dead were Abiodun Adesanya, Ifeanyi Nicholas Eji, Tola, and Wisdom.

This incident happened as civil society groups renewed their calls for justice for victims of police violence and for the implementation of recommendations from investigations into the Lekki incident.

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) stated that disbanding the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) did not stop claims of police brutality, torture, extortion, unlawful detention, and extrajudicial killings.

In a statement on Tuesday, the group called for the enforcement of the Police Act 2020 and the Anti-Torture Act 2017. They also urged authorities to investigate abuse claims, prosecute guilty officers, and improve civilian oversight of the police.

RULAAC raised concerns about alleged abuse in police detention centers, including Tiger Base in Owerri, Imo State. They called for detainees to be able to see lawyers and relatives and urged the police to keep proper records of arrests and comply with court orders.

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) asked the federal and Lagos State governments to apologize for the Lekki shootings and provide compensation for victims.

In a separate statement on Monday, CAPPA urged for independent investigations, prosecution of those responsible, and compensation for those killed or injured during the crackdown.

CAPPA noted that the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s report implicated security personnel in deaths and injuries at the toll gate. They criticized the federal government’s rejection of the panel’s findings and the Lagos State Government’s White Paper, which disputed some casualty records.

They also called for the implementation of a July 2024 judgment from the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice. This judgment found Nigeria liable for human rights violations and ordered compensation and new investigations.

CAPPA renewed its demand for justice for Pelumi Onifade, a journalist arrested by officers of the Lagos State Task Force on October 24, 2020, while covering events at the Ministry of Agriculture Abattoir in Oko-Oba, Agege. They called for an investigation into his death and prosecution of anyone responsible.

The organization also urged the authorities to keep the Lekki Toll Gate as a national memorial and introduce measures like body-worn cameras for police officers.

Tuesday’s event recalls past instances of police abuse against #EndSARS memorial attendees.

In July 2025, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police Moshood Jimoh to pay N10 million in damages to protesters whose rights were violated during a memorial at the toll gate on October 20, 2024.

Judge Musa Kakaki ruled that the arrests violated the protesters’ constitutional right to peaceful assembly and association.

The applicants told the court that police officers used teargas and live ammunition to disperse them, assaulted some participants, and detained them before releasing them without charge.

The judge also ruled that an earlier Lagos State High Court order limiting protests to specific parks could not be applied retroactively to this gathering.

The suit was filed by 22 individuals and three organizations: the Education Rights Campaign, Take It Back Movement, and Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights.

Police arrested demonstrators during anniversary events in 2021 and arrested protesters and journalists in 2022.

The #EndSARS protests began in October 2020 when young Nigerians protested against police brutality, especially abuses by SARS.

The federal government announced the disbandment of the unit on October 11, 2020, but protests continued as demonstrators demanded accountability.

The shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, became a significant moment in the protests. Investigations into that incident and calls for justice have continued over the years.