Police fired tear gas at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on Tuesday, disrupting a memorial ceremony for victims of the 2020 #EndSARS protests and preventing participants from laying wreaths.
The ceremony, organised by the Enough is Enough movement, was scheduled for 11 am to honour people reported dead or missing in connection with the protests.
Residents, journalists and political figures had gathered at the toll gate when police officers fired tear gas canisters, forcing participants to flee.
Those affected included the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The organisers had planned to lay 15 wreaths in memory of victims of the Lekki incident. Nine were for people listed as dead, four for those listed as missing and presumed dead, one for journalist Pelumi Onifade and another for unidentified victims.
The nine people listed as dead were Victor Sunday Ibanga, Abuta Solomon, Jide, Olalekan Abideen Ashafa, Olamilekan Ajasa, Kolade Salami, Folorunsho Olabisi, Kenechukwu Ugoh and Nathaniel Solomon.
Those listed as missing and presumed dead were Abiodun Adesanya, Ifeanyi Nicholas Eji, Tola and Wisdom.
The disruption occurred amid renewed calls by civil society organisations for accountability over police abuses and the implementation of recommendations arising from investigations into the Lekki incident.
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre said the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad had not ended allegations of police brutality, torture, extortion, unlawful detention and extrajudicial killings.
In a statement on Tuesday, the organisation called for the enforcement of the Police Act 2020 and the Anti-Torture Act 2017. It also urged authorities to investigate alleged abuses, prosecute officers found culpable and strengthen civilian oversight of the police.
RULAAC expressed concern over alleged abuses in police detention facilities, including Tiger Base in Owerri, Imo State. It called for detainees to have access to lawyers and relatives and urged the police to maintain proper records of arrests and transfers and comply with court judgments.
Similarly, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa called on the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government to apologise for the Lekki shootings and provide redress for victims.
In a statement issued on Monday, CAPPA demanded independent investigations, prosecution of those found responsible and compensation for people killed or injured during the crackdown.
The organisation said the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry's report implicated security personnel in deaths and injuries at the toll gate. It criticised the Federal Government's rejection of the panel's findings and the Lagos State Government's White Paper, which disputed aspects of the casualty records.
CAPPA also called for the implementation of a July 2024 judgment by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice which, according to the organisation, found Nigeria liable for human rights violations and ordered compensation and fresh investigations.
The group renewed its demand for justice for Onifade, who was arrested by officers of the Lagos State Task Force on 24 October 2020 while covering events at the Ministry of Agriculture Abattoir in Oko-Oba, Agege.
It called for an investigation into his death and the prosecution of anyone found responsible. CAPPA also urged authorities to preserve the Lekki Toll Gate as a national memorial and introduce safeguards, including body-worn cameras for police officers.
Tuesday's incident revived concerns over previous police crackdowns on gatherings marking the anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.
In July 2025, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, to jointly pay N10m in damages to protesters whose rights were violated during a memorial procession at the toll gate on 20 October 2024.
Justice Musa Kakaki ruled that the arrests violated the protesters' constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and association. The applicants had alleged that police used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse them, assaulted some participants and detained them before releasing them without charge.
The judge also held that an earlier Lagos State High Court order restricting protests to designated parks could not be applied retrospectively to the gathering.
The suit was filed by 22 individuals and three organisations: the Education Rights Campaign, Take It Back Movement and Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights.
Police also arrested demonstrators during anniversary events in 2021 and detained protesters and journalists in 2022.
The #EndSARS protests began in October 2020, with young Nigerians demanding an end to police brutality, particularly abuses associated with SARS. The Federal Government announced the unit's disbandment on 11 October 2020, but demonstrations continued as protesters demanded accountability.
The shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20 October 2020 became one of the defining moments of the protests. Demands for justice and accountability have continued in the years since.
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