LAGOS, Nigeria — Police officers on Tuesday fired teargas at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos to disperse protesters, journalists and political figures gathered to honour victims of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests, disrupting a planned wreath-laying ceremony.
Among those caught up in the police action were the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, reports The PUNCH.
The memorial was organised by the Enough is Enough movement as part of activities to remember those who lost their lives during the #EndSARS protests, which erupted across Nigeria in October 2020 over allegations of police brutality and demands for comprehensive police reform.
The Lekki tollgate became a focal point of the protests and subsequent public controversy following reports of shootings at the site on October 20, 2020.
Tuesday’s gathering was disrupted before participants could lay wreaths in honour of the victims, as police officers deployed to the venue fired teargas canisters to disperse the crowd.
A video shared by TheCable showed participants scrambling for safety as teargas spread across the area.
The police action prevented the wreath-laying ceremony from proceeding as planned, interrupting the gathering organised to commemorate the victims six years after the protests.
The incident comes amid continuing public calls for accountability over the events of October 2020 and renewed efforts by activists and civil society groups to preserve the memory of those affected by the #EndSARS protests.
