JUST IN: Police disperse Lekki tollgate memorial with teargas
Police officers have fired teargas to disperse a memorial procession for victims of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos. Read More:…
The Lekki tollgate has remained a flashpoint since October 2020, when soldiers allegedly opened fire on unarmed #EndSARS protesters demonstrating against police brutality, an incident that became known as the "Lekki Massacre." A judicial panel later found evidence of shootings and deaths at the scene, though the federal and Lagos state governments have disputed casualty figures, and no one has been held criminally accountable. Each anniversary, activists, victims' families and, increasingly, politicians have gathered at the tollgate to lay wreaths and demand justice, often met with a heavy security presence that rights groups say is meant to discourage public remembrance.
This year's gathering drew added political weight with the reported presence of Lagos governorship candidates, pointing to how the EndSARS legacy continues to feature in the state's electoral contest. Accounts agree police used teargas to break up the crowd before the planned wreath-laying could proceed, though details on the number of candidates involved, any arrests or injuries, and the police's official justification for the dispersal have yet to be fully reported.