Police officers have fired teargas at protesters, journalists and political figures gathered at Lagos’ Lekki tollgate to commemorate victims of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Police officers teargassed Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, and Funso Doherty, a gubernatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), during a memorial gathering at the Lekki tollgate on Tuesday morning.
The two politicians had joined residents and journalists for a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of those who died during the #EndSARS protests against police brutality in October 2020.
The gathering was intended to remember the victims of the demonstrations, which drew widespread attention to allegations of police misconduct and demands for reform of Nigeria’s security agencies.
However, the memorial was disrupted when police officers deployed tear gas against those gathered at the tollgate, affecting the politicians, residents and journalists present.
The incident has once again drawn attention to tensions surrounding commemorations of the #EndSARS protests, particularly at the Lekki tollgate, which became a focal point of the demonstrations in 2020.
The circumstances surrounding the police action, including the reason for the deployment of tear gas and whether any arrests or injuries were recorded, were not immediately clear.
The #EndSARS movement began as a campaign against the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), with protesters demanding an end to police brutality, accountability and broader reforms to policing in Nigeria.
The Lekki tollgate remains a significant symbol of the movement and a gathering point for those seeking to honour its victims and keep its demands for justice alive.
