At least 18 individuals, commemorating the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, were arrested by the Nigerian Police at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
The #EndSARS movement, which began in October 2020, was a nationwide protest against police brutality, particularly targeting the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The protests reached a tragic climax on October 20, 2020, with the controversial Lekki Toll Gate shooting, where lives were reportedly lost as security forces allegedly opened fire on peaceful demonstrators.
This year, as activists gathered at the site to honor the memory of the protests and those who died, the Nigerian Police disrupted the peaceful event, using tear gas and arresting several protesters.
Among those detained were prominent figures in the activist community, including Hassan Soweto, National Spokesperson of the Youth Rights Campaign, and several other members of the #EndBadGovernance Movement.
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Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, and Omole Ibukun, Initiator of the Creative Change Centre, confirmed the arrests in separate messages to news outlets, expressing outrage over the police crackdown.
Additionally, Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress’ 2023 presidential candidate, tweeted that some of the arrested protesters were beaten before being transported to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti, Lagos.
