Police Fire Tear Gas at #EndSARS Memorial, Disrupt Event at Lekki Tollgate

Police officers on Tuesday fired tear gas to disperse residents, journalists, activists and political figures gathered at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos to commemorate victims of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.

 

Among those affected by the police action were Lagos State governorship candidates of the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Funso Doherty.

 

The memorial, organised by the Enough is Enough movement, was intended to honour those who lost their lives during the #EndSARS protests and remember the nationwide demonstrations against police brutality.

 

However, the event was disrupted before participants could lay wreaths at the tollgate, as officers deployed to the venue fired tear gas canisters to disperse the gathering.

 

The action triggered confusion as participants scrambled for safety amid clouds of tear gas that spread across the area, forcing them to abandon the planned commemoration.

 

The annual memorial forms part of efforts to remember the victims of the #EndSARS protests, which attracted widespread public attention in October 2020 over allegations of police brutality, particularly against young Nigerians.

 

The Lekki tollgate became a focal point of the demonstrations and has since remained a significant site for commemorations by activists and other Nigerians demanding accountability, justice and reforms in the country’s policing system.

 

Tuesday’s incident prevented participants from completing the planned wreath-laying ceremony in honour of those who lost their lives during the protests.

 

The Lagos State Police Command had yet to provide an explanation for the use of tear gas as of the time of filing this report.