Police fired tear gas on Tuesday, 20 October, to disperse people gathered at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos to mark six years since the 2020 #EndSARS protests, according to eyewitness reports by Channels Television, TheCable and PUNCH.
The gathering, organised by the Enough is Enough movement, was intended to honour people who died during the protests and renew calls for police accountability. Participants reportedly scattered before the planned laying of wreaths could begin.
Among those present were Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress candidate for Lagos governor, and Funso Doherty, the Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate. Journalists and other residents were also caught in the dispersal. Their presence does not establish that either politician organised the event.
What Happened at the Toll Gate?
TheCable reported that officers were positioned at the venue before the commemoration and fired tear gas as attendees assembled. PUNCH reported that the wreath-laying ceremony could not proceed. Channels Television said the immediate tension later subsided and the area was clear.
Footage of the scene shows people moving away from the area as the crowd dispersed. The available reports establish that tear gas was deployed, but do not by themselves establish the identity of the officer who authorised its use or a definitive official explanation for the operation.
It would therefore be premature to claim that the police have admitted unlawful conduct or that any officer has been disciplined. The immediate account concerns what reporters and participants observed at the memorial.
Why Does the Anniversary Remain Sensitive?
The October 2020 #EndSARS protests began as a movement against police brutality and abuses associated with the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Demonstrations broadened into demands for institutional reform and accountability.
As Channels Television recalled in its anniversary report, a Lagos judicial panel subsequently found that protesters were shot, injured and killed at the toll gate in 2020. The Lagos State Government disputed significant parts of the panel’s conclusions, including findings concerning casualties. That history remains contested and should be reported with the disagreement clearly identified.
Anniversary gatherings have themselves become flashpoints. Police dispersed commemorations in 2021 and 2024, according to Channels Television. This year’s incident therefore renews a recurring question about how security agencies manage peaceful remembrance events.
What Are Rights Groups Saying?
In a separate statement published on Tuesday, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre alleged that police impunity continues six years after #EndSARS. Premium Times reported the organisation’s concerns about torture, unlawful detention, extortion and other abuses. Those are the advocacy group’s allegations and should not be presented as judicial findings in each individual case.
The incident also raises a question about the constitutional right to peaceful assembly. Whether police actions met legal standards would depend on the circumstances, any applicable restrictions, and the authorities’ explanation, none of which can be conclusively resolved from short video clips alone.
What Happens Next?
Attention will turn to whether Lagos police issue a detailed explanation, whether organisers seek a formal investigation, and whether any complaint or legal action follows. Trivane should update the story only when those developments are confirmed.
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