EndSARS: ‘Who gave the order?’ — Atiku says APC owes Nigerians answers six years on
"Six years after the Lekki shooting, Nigeria is still waiting for a clear answer to one devastating question: Who gave the order?" Atiku asked. The post EndSARS: ‘Who gave the order?’ — Atiku says APC owes Nigerians…
The #EndSARS movement of October 2020 began as protests against police brutality and the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), drawing young Nigerians to the streets nationwide. The demonstrations culminated in the Lekki Tollgate shooting on the night of October 20, 2020, when security operatives opened fire on protesters, an incident that remains one of the most contested episodes in recent Nigerian history. A Lagos State judicial panel later found evidence that unarmed protesters were killed and injured, but the military has consistently denied using live ammunition, and no official has been held publicly accountable for ordering the shooting.
Five years since the Lagos panel's findings, the question of command responsibility remains unresolved, making it a recurring flashpoint in Nigerian politics. Atiku Abubakar, a longtime opposition figure and former presidential candidate, has used the anniversary to press the ruling APC for accountability, framing the unanswered "who gave the order" question as emblematic of a broader pattern of impunity. His remarks are likely to reignite debate between the government, which has largely treated the matter as settled, and civil society groups and victims' families who continue to demand justice and compensation.