#EndSars: Police Fire Tear Gas At Rhodes-Vivour, Funso Doherty During Memorial
Police operatives on Tuesday dispersed participants at a memorial procession for victims of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos, firing tear gas at a gathering that included two…
Every October since 2020, Nigerians have gathered at the Lekki tollgate to mark the anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, when demonstrators demanding an end to police brutality and the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) were met with gunfire at the same location. The events of that night remain disputed and unresolved years later, with victims' families and civil society groups continuing to demand accountability, compensation and an official acknowledgment of what transpired. The tollgate has since become a flashpoint for annual memorials, often met with a heavy security presence from police and sometimes the military.
This year's commemoration drew prominent political figures, including Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Funso Doherty, both of whom contested the 2023 Lagos State governorship election, alongside journalists and residents. The reported use of tear gas to disperse the gathering is likely to reignite debate over the right to peaceful assembly in Nigeria and renewed scrutiny of how security agencies respond to EndSARS-related commemorations. Details on what prompted the police action, any arrests, and official statements from the Nigeria Police Force have yet to be widely reported.