Tension broke out at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, as Nigerians gathered to remember victims of the #EndSARS protests that shook the country six years ago.
The gathering, organised by the Enough is Enough (EiE) movement, was meant to honour those who lost their lives and those who went missing during the 2020 demonstrations against police brutality.
However, the memorial took an unexpected turn when police officers fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Participants, including activists, journalists and politicians, were forced to run for safety as the gas spread across the area.
Among those affected were Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Lagos governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The organisers had planned a wreath-laying ceremony to honour the victims, but the police action disrupted the event before it could go ahead as planned.
The incident has brought back painful memories of the 2020 protests, when thousands of young Nigerians took to the streets to demand an end to police abuse, particularly by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The Lekki Toll Gate became a major symbol of the movement following the events of October 20, 2020, when security personnel opened fire on protesters. Questions about what happened that night and calls for justice have continued over the years.
The latest incident has also raised fresh concerns about the right of Nigerians to gather peacefully and remember those who died.
Despite the disruption, demands for accountability, justice for victims and lasting police reforms remain central to the #EndSARS movement.
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