Police officers dispersed activists, journalists and political figures at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2026, preventing a planned wreath laying ceremony for victims of the historic protests against police brutality and renewing concerns over the right to peaceful assembly.
Police officers fired tear gas at people gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, disrupting a memorial organised to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests and honour victims of the 2020 demonstrations against police brutality. The event, coordinated by the civil society organisation Enough is Enough, was scheduled to include a wreath laying ceremony at 11 a.m. Participants included activists, journalists, residents and political figures, among them African Democratic Congress governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Funso Doherty. Witness accounts and video footage showed people fleeing as tear gas spread through the gathering, preventing the organisers from completing their planned tribute. The incident occurred at the same location where security personnel opened fire on protesters on October 20, 2020, an episode that continues to generate demands for justice and accountability. Although the immediate confrontation subsequently subsided, the police action renewed debate over the treatment of peaceful commemorations and the wider legacy of the #EndSARS movement.
Police disperse participants during the sixth anniversary #EndSARS memorial at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on October 20, 2026.
The confrontation unfolded as participants arrived at the toll gate to honour people killed, injured or reported missing during the original protests. Organisers had planned to place 15 wreaths at the site, with nine dedicated to people identified as having died in connection with the Lekki incident and four reserved for individuals listed as missing and presumed dead. Another wreath was intended to honour journalist Pelumi Onifade, while the final tribute was for other unidentified victims. Police officers had established a presence at the location before the scheduled ceremony, according to reports from the scene. As participants attempted to proceed with the commemoration, officers deployed tear gas, causing confusion and forcing many people to move away from the area. Some accounts differed on whether a wreath had been placed before the disruption, but the planned ceremony was not completed. The incident transformed what organisers intended as a remembrance gathering into another confrontation between security personnel and citizens commemorating the events of 2020.
Among those affected were Rhodes-Vivour and Doherty, two political figures who joined the gathering alongside activists and ordinary residents. Their participation drew attention to the continuing political significance of the #EndSARS movement, which emerged from demands for police accountability but developed into a wider national conversation about governance and civil liberties. Video recordings circulated by news organisations showed participants scrambling for safety as tear gas spread across the area. Journalists reporting on the memorial were also among those exposed to the police action. Accounts of the incident did not immediately establish a verified number of injured participants or confirm any arrests directly associated with Tuesday’s dispersal. Channels Television reported that tension later subsided and the location became clear. The presence of opposition political candidates does not change the commemorative purpose announced by the organisers, although it underscores how the unresolved questions surrounding the 2020 protests continue to intersect with Nigeria’s political debate.
Political figures and activists attended the Lekki memorial to remember victims of the 2020 protests. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Funso Doherty were among those affected by the tear gas.
The police intervention prompted renewed criticism from civil society organisations concerned about the protection of peaceful gatherings. The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre condemned the reported use of tear gas, describing it as part of a continuing pattern of restrictions affecting #EndSARS commemorations. The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa organisation also renewed calls for accountability in unresolved cases connected with the original protests. Reports indicated that police at the toll gate cited public safety and the need to protect the right of way of other Lagos residents when restricting the gathering. However, the accounts reviewed did not establish a detailed official explanation from the Lagos State Police Command justifying the particular decision to deploy tear gas. This distinction is important because managing traffic and maintaining public order are legitimate policing responsibilities, while the methods used to enforce those responsibilities remain subject to constitutional and legal standards. The incident has therefore raised questions not only about the decision to disperse the memorial but also about whether the response was necessary and proportionate.
The October 20 anniversary carries particular historical significance because the 2020 #EndSARS protests marked one of the most prominent youth led demonstrations in modern Nigerian history. The movement grew from longstanding complaints about harassment, extortion, unlawful detention and violence attributed to the Special Anti Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force. Demonstrations intensified in October 2020 after a video circulated online appearing to show police brutality in Delta State. Protesters gathered in Lagos, Abuja and other cities, calling for the dissolution of SARS and broader institutional reforms. The Federal Government announced the disbandment of the unit on October 11, 2020, but demonstrations continued as participants demanded accountability for past abuses and safeguards against their recurrence. The Lekki Toll Gate became a major centre of the movement. On the evening of October 20, security personnel opened fire during a gathering there, leading to widespread controversy over the number of casualties and responsibility for the operation. The event remains central to the movement’s annual commemorations.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, established after the protests, investigated allegations of police brutality and the events at the Lekki Toll Gate. In its report released in November 2021, the panel concluded that protesters were shot, injured and killed during the security operation. It identified nine people as dead in connection with the incident and four others as missing and presumed dead. The panel’s findings were disputed by the Lagos State Government, whose subsequent White Paper rejected significant aspects of the report, including conclusions concerning the number of deaths and the characterisation of the shooting. Those conflicting positions have remained central to the public debate over the events of October 20, 2020. Families of victims and civil society organisations have continued seeking explanations, reparations and accountability. The latest memorial was intended to preserve the memory of those affected, rather than reopen the inquiry itself, but the unresolved disagreements help explain why the toll gate remains a sensitive location six years later.
Tuesday’s disruption was not the first confrontation between police officers and people marking the anniversary of the protests. In October 2021, police fired tear gas during a memorial procession at the toll gate. The then Lagos Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, maintained that officers had intervened against people he described as troublemakers rather than legitimate participants in the remembrance event. Similar tensions emerged during the fourth anniversary in October 2024, when police again dispersed demonstrators calling for the implementation of recommendations from inquiries established after the original protests. A significant legal development followed in July 2025, when the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered police authorities to pay 10 million naira in damages to protesters whose rights were violated during the 2024 commemoration. Justice Musa Kakaki held that the arrests breached constitutional protections for peaceful assembly and association. That judgment provides an important legal reference for the latest incident, although it does not automatically determine the legality of every action taken at the 2026 gathering.
Police officers maintain a presence around the Lekki Toll Gate during an earlier EndSARS anniversary. Previous commemorations have also experienced confrontations between officers and participants.
The incident raises wider constitutional questions about the relationship between public order policing and citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Sections 39 and 40 of Nigeria’s Constitution protect freedom of expression and the right to assemble and associate peacefully, subject to restrictions permitted by law. Police authorities are responsible for preventing violence and protecting public safety, but their actions may be challenged when restrictions on peaceful gatherings are alleged to be excessive. Civil society organisations argue that commemorating victims of alleged state abuses is a legitimate exercise of civic participation and should not expose participants to unnecessary force. Police, on the other hand, must address genuine risks to public safety and the movement of people along heavily used roads. Determining whether the force used at the Lekki memorial was lawful would require a proper examination of the circumstances, including any warnings issued, the conduct of participants, available alternatives and the justification for deploying tear gas. The available reporting establishes that the gathering was disrupted but does not provide a complete independent assessment of those questions.
Beyond the immediate confrontation, the disruption has implications for confidence in policing reforms introduced after the 2020 protests. Ending SARS was an important government response to public demands, but activists have continued seeking stronger disciplinary procedures, transparent investigations, compensation for victims and protections against unlawful detention and excessive force. The memorial organisers also called for the Lekki Toll Gate to be preserved as a national remembrance site and for greater use of body worn cameras by police officers. Such measures are intended to improve transparency and provide reliable evidence when disputes arise over security operations. The renewed controversy may also affect relations between young Nigerians and law enforcement agencies, particularly among citizens who view the annual commemoration as a test of whether lessons from the original protests have been applied. While the long term consequences of Tuesday’s events remain uncertain, the recurrence of confrontations at anniversary gatherings illustrates why questions about public trust, accountability and protest management continue to feature prominently in Nigeria’s civic discussion.
Candles and tributes honour victims of the #EndSARS protests. Remembrance activities have continued in Nigeria as campaigners seek accountability for abuses linked to the 2020 demonstrations.
As of October 21, 2026, the confirmed developments are that police deployed tear gas at the Lekki Toll Gate during the sixth anniversary memorial, participants dispersed and the planned wreath laying ceremony was interrupted. Activists and political figures attended the event, while civil society organisations renewed their demands for justice and broader police accountability. Available reports did not establish a confirmed number of injuries or provide a comprehensive official police account explaining the deployment of tear gas. The immediate tension at the location has subsided, but questions remain about the circumstances of the intervention and whether any investigation will follow. Six years after the original #EndSARS demonstrations, the anniversary continues to highlight unresolved disputes over the Lekki shootings and the protection of citizens’ rights during peaceful public gatherings. The latest incident places renewed attention on the conduct of security personnel, the implementation of judicial findings and the need for credible mechanisms through which Nigerians can commemorate victims, express their views and seek accountability without unnecessary confrontation.
