Police officers fired tear gas to disperse activists, journalists and other Nigerians who gathered at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.
According to Channels Television, the gathering was organised to honour victims of the 2020 demonstrations against police brutality and renew calls for justice and police reforms.
The situation became tense when officers deployed to the location fired tear gas canisters, forcing participants to flee the area.
Police disrupt #EndSARS anniversary gathering
The memorial, organised by the Enough is Enough movement, was expected to feature a wreath-laying ceremony in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the protests.
However, the programme was disrupted before participants could lay their wreaths.
Videos from the scene showed police officers stationed around the toll gate as tear gas spread through the area.
Participants, including journalists and political figures, scrambled for safety as the gathering was dispersed.
Among those present were Lagos State governorship candidates Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Despite the disruption, activists maintained their commitment to seeking justice for victims of police brutality and demanding reforms within the Nigeria Police Force.
Tension subsided after the incident, with Channels Television reporting that the area had become clear.
Lekki toll gate shooting remembered six years later
The incident occurred exactly six years after the October 20, 2020, Lekki toll gate shooting, which became a defining moment in Nigeria’s #EndSARS movement.
The protests began as demonstrations against police brutality, extortion and abuses associated with the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Thousands of young Nigerians participated in demonstrations across the country, demanding accountability and an end to unlawful police practices.
On October 20, 2020, soldiers opened fire on protesters gathered at the Lekki toll gate.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry later concluded that protesters were shot, injured and killed during the incident.
However, the Lagos State Government disputed key aspects of the panel’s findings, including conclusions relating to casualties.
Renewed concerns over right to peaceful assembly
Tuesday’s incident has renewed concerns about the treatment of citizens participating in peaceful gatherings.
Similar confrontations occurred during previous #EndSARS anniversaries, including in 2021 and 2024, when police also used tear gas to disperse participants at the toll gate.
Although SARS was officially disbanded in October 2020, activists have continued demanding accountability, compensation for victims and broader reforms within the police.
As of the initial reports on Tuesday, authorities had not confirmed any arrests or injuries arising from the latest dispersal.
The sixth anniversary has again brought attention to the unresolved demands that inspired the nationwide protests in 2020.
