RULAAC condemns police use of tear gas at #EndSARS memorial in Lekki
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned the action of the police in firing tear gas to disperse activists and other citizens commemorating the victims of the October 20, 2020, #EndSARS shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.
The organisation said the reported incident on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, raised concerns about the government’s commitment to protecting freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the right of citizens to remember victims of state violence.
In a statement, RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, questioned why authorities continued to use force against citizens gathering to honour those killed during the #EndSARS protests.
The organisation described the reported police action as part of a recurring pattern of repression, citing a similar crackdown during the 2024 memorial, when witnesses reportedly said police fired tear gas and assaulted participants.
RULAAC argued that the repeated disruption of memorial gatherings suggested an attempt to suppress public memory, accountability demands and the political significance of the #EndSARS movement.
According to the organisation, six years after the Lekki Toll Gate shootings, critical questions remain unanswered, including who authorised the deployment of security personnel, who approved the use of live ammunition, the number of people killed or injured, and whether officers implicated in abuses have been prosecuted.
It also cited findings of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and the position of Amnesty International on the shootings, insisting that the authorities must address outstanding questions surrounding the incident.
The organisation further maintained that Lekki Toll Gate had become a national symbol of police brutality, state violence, youth resistance and the demand for accountability.
It said peaceful commemorations should not be treated as security threats simply because they challenge the government’s preferred narrative of the events of October 20, 2020.
While acknowledging that the police have a responsibility to maintain public order, RULAAC said such responsibility did not justify the indiscriminate dispersal of peaceful gatherings.
The organisation cited Sections 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, arguing that any restriction on these rights must be lawful, necessary and proportionate to a demonstrable threat.
RULAAC called on the police to protect peaceful assemblies, manage traffic and isolate individuals who commit offences rather than treat all participants as suspects.
It warned that the use of tear gas against citizens commemorating victims of police brutality risked reinforcing concerns that the institutional problems that gave rise to the #EndSARS movement had not been adequately addressed.
The organisation urged the government to acknowledge the victims, publish a credible account of the events surrounding the shootings, implement the judicial panel’s recommendations and prosecute those found responsible for wrongdoing.
It added that disrupting memorial gatherings would not erase the Lekki tragedy but could deepen public distrust and reinforce demands for police reform.
“Remembrance is not a crime. Mourning is not a threat to national security,” Nwanguma said, insisting that the Lekki Toll Gate should not become a recurring site of police repression.
