The EndSARS memorial at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos was disrupted on Tuesday, October 20, after police officers allegedly fired tear gas at Nigerians who gathered to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the October 20, 2020, shootings.
Among those reportedly caught in the incident were Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, and Funso Doherty, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the same position.
The politicians reportedly joined residents, activists and journalists at a wreath-laying ceremony organised by the Enough is Enough (EiE) movement to honour victims of the 2020 protests. 
However, police officers deployed to the tollgate dispersed the gathering with tear gas before participants could lay the wreaths. Footage shared by The Cable showed attendees scrambling for safety as the ceremony was interrupted.
Police disrupt EndSARS memorial before wreath-laying ceremony
The gathering was intended to remember Nigerians who lost their lives during demonstrations against police brutality, harassment and extortion by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Participants had assembled at the Lekki Tollgate, a location that became synonymous with the 2020 protests, to pay tribute to victims and renew calls for accountability.
The presence of police officers, however, brought the event to an abrupt halt. According to reports, officers fired tear gas as the crowd gathered, forcing participants to flee and preventing the planned wreath-laying ceremony from proceeding.
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The incident has renewed concerns about the policing of peaceful assemblies, particularly events organised to commemorate victims of alleged abuses by security forces.
As of publication, the reports cited above had not established the police’s official explanation for dispersing the gathering.
What happened during the October 20, 2020, EndSARS protests?
The EndSARS movement began as a nationwide campaign against police brutality, with protesters demanding the disbandment of SARS and broader reforms to improve police accountability.
On October 20, 2020, soldiers opened fire on protesters at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, according to investigations by Amnesty International. The organisation said it found evidence that security forces killed at least 12 peaceful protesters at Lekki and Alausa that evening.
The shootings sparked international outrage and became one of the defining moments of the protests. Videos and eyewitness accounts circulated widely, while Nigerians demanded investigations into the use of force against demonstrators.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry later investigated the incident. In November 2021, Amnesty International welcomed the panel’s findings, saying they confirmed that Nigerian Army and police personnel had shot protesters at the tollgate.
Authorities disputed aspects of the accounts surrounding the incident, and questions about accountability have continued to shape discussions of the EndSARS movement.
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Sixth EndSARS anniversary renews calls for justice
Six years later, the EndSARS memorial remains an important occasion for activists and families seeking justice for victims of police violence.
For many Nigerians, the anniversary represents more than a remembrance of those who died. It also highlights continuing concerns about police conduct, citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and whether meaningful accountability has followed the 2020 events.
The use of tear gas against people gathered to commemorate the anniversary has therefore added a fresh controversy to an already painful chapter in Nigeria’s recent history.
The disruption at Lekki Tollgate also recalls previous anniversaries when police used tear gas to disperse memorial gatherings, including the first anniversary in 2021 and the second anniversary in 2022.
As Nigerians mark six years since the shootings, the events at the tollgate have renewed attention on the original demands of the movement: an end to police brutality, respect for citizens’ rights and accountability for abuses by security personnel.
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