Lagos State Police officers fired teargas to disperse protesters marking the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS movement on Sunday.
Videos clips from the scene showed protesters fleeing as police fired shots.
The demonstrators had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate around 8:30 a.m., carrying banners and placards, demanding the full implementation of the judicial panel reports set up after the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
In October 2020, thousands of Nigerian youths protested against police brutality, particularly the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which led to widespread demonstrations across the country.
The protests peaked at the Lekki Toll Gate, where soldiers allegedly opened fire on protesters, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
Despite the establishment of judicial panels to address the protesters’ demands, many recommendations remain unimplemented, leading to continued dissatisfaction among protest leaders.
One protester, identified as Excel, described how he was injured while trying to escape the teargas. “I fell into the gutter and was hit on the head,” he said.
Another protester, Bayo Are, reported minor injuries and noted that some people had been arrested.
Lagos State Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that there was no confrontation, but officers had to disperse the crowd to prevent traffic disruption.
“They were asked to leave, but they refused, so we used minimal force to disperse them,” Hundeyin said.
