The Nigeria Police Force on Sunday fired tear gas at peaceful protesters, who had gathered at the Lekki tollgate, Lagos to remember those who were killed by Nigerian security forces four years ago during the EndSARS massacre at that tollgate.
Many of the protesters were arrested and hauled into a mobile prison, popularly called black maria.
In a viral video, some of the arrested demonstrators said the peaceful march was disrupted when police began to shoot and release tear gas to break up the crowd.
The youths had reportedly gathered around 8:30 am at the toll gate with banners and placards.
They were demanding the full implementation of the reports submitted by various judicial panels of inquiry set up after the 2020 protests and massacre.
A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, accused operatives of the Lagos State Police Command of arresting and brutalizing about 18 activists, including Comrade Taiwo Soweto.
He wrote X: “Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto and 17 other activists have been arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate.”
“They were brutalized and are currently being detained in State CID Panti by the police for commemorating the memorial of the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre.
“They were entirely peaceful and did not disrupt public peace in anyway. We will do everything under the law to secure their release. This is unconstitutional and unacceptable.”
The police had yet to comment on the incident as at the time of filing this report.
Recall that angry Nigerian youths had in 2020 staged a nationwide protest against police brutaliry – with the hashtag #EndSARS against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, an allegedly notorious unit of the Nigeria Police with a long record of citizens’ rights abuse and brutality.
On October 20 2020, Nigerian security forces fired live ammunition on the peaceful protesters who converged at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, leading to the massacre of many unarmed youths.
Though the government of Nigeria denies that there was a massacre.
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