Lagos State Police Command officers on Sunday fired teargas to disperse protesters gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.
According to The PUNCH, the demonstrators, who assembled around 8:30 a.m., carried banners and placards, calling for the full implementation of the judicial panel reports established after the 2020 protests.
Videos from the scene show protesters fleeing as the police fired teargas and shots into the air.
A participant, identified as Excel, recounted his experience to PUNCH Online. “They started firing teargas at us. I fell into the gutter and got hit on the head,” he said.
Another protester, Bayo Are, also spoke of his ordeal, stating, “I was hit too, but I’m not seriously injured. Just a few scratches. Some people have been arrested.”
The #EndSARS movement, which began in October 2020, saw thousands of youths protesting across Nigeria against police brutality, particularly targeting the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
The protests reached a tragic climax at the Lekki Toll Gate, where military intervention allegedly led to the deaths of several protesters.
In the aftermath, judicial panels were set up across the country to address the demands of the protesters.
However, four years later, many of these recommendations remain unimplemented, a point of frustration expressed by the anniversary’s protesters.
Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, commented on the incident, denying any major confrontation.
“There was no clash. We had to disperse the crowd to prevent traffic disruption at the Lekki Toll Gate. We used minimal force after they refused to leave,” Hundeyin said.
