Police officers on Tuesday disrupted a memorial gathering at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos State by firing teargas at residents, journalists and political figures who assembled to honour victims of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Among those caught up 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) governorship candidate.
The gathering was organised by the Enough is Enough movement as part of activities marking the anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, which rocked several parts of Nigeria in October 2020.
Participants had gathered at the Lekki tollgate to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the protests and take part in a wreath-laying ceremony in their memory.
However, the commemorative event was cut short when police officers deployed to the area fired teargas canisters to disperse the crowd.
A video shared by TheCable captured the tense scene, showing participants scrambling to escape as the teargas spread across the gathering.
The disruption prevented attendees from proceeding with the planned wreath-laying ceremony, which was intended to honour the victims and keep their memory alive.
The Lekki tollgate remains a significant location in the history of the #EndSARS movement, which began as a youth-led campaign against police brutality, particularly the activities of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The protests gained nationwide and international attention in October 2020, with the Lekki tollgate becoming one of the movement’s most prominent gathering points.
The latest incident has once again drawn attention to the memorial activities held at the site in remembrance of those affected by the protests.
