The Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, the centre of the October 2020 EndSARS protests (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Police operatives on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, fired tear gas to disperse activists and other Nigerians who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos to mark the sixth anniversary of the EndSARS protests, Channels Television reported. The memorial was organised to honour those who died during the 2020 demonstrations and to renew demands for justice.
Tension flared as the police moved in on the gathering, and the area was later reported calm after the dispersal. Channels Television's coverage noted that the activists, despite being dispersed, vowed to continue the struggle for justice and the police reforms that inspired the EndSARS movement, while keeping alive the memory of those who died.
The anniversary drew statements from across the political class. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said in a statement that "we must never normalise injustice", describing the shootings of October 20, 2020 as a painful reminder of the price Nigerian youths paid in their demand for a better country. Pulse Nigeria and Daily Post Nigeria both published his remarks.
"On that fateful night, peaceful #EndSARS protesters were met with gunfire," Obi wrote, calling for justice, accountability and respect for human rights. His intervention echoed the unresolved questions that still surround the events of that night six years ago.
The EndSARS movement began in October 2020 as a youth-led protest against police brutality, extortion and alleged extrajudicial killings by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The protests forced the disbandment of SARS that same month, but the wider demands survived the disbandment: accountability for victims, compensation for affected families, and comprehensive police reform.
Tuesday's incident was not the first time security operatives have broken up an anniversary gathering at the toll gate. Parallel Facts noted that memorial gatherings at the site have repeatedly been met with a police response, a pattern that has itself become part of the anniversary story.
Six years on, the questions the protesters asked in 2020 remain largely unanswered in public: who ordered the shots at the toll gate on the night of October 20, 2020, what compensation has reached the families, and what has changed inside the police service. The dispersal of Tuesday's memorial showed how sensitive those questions remain for the authorities.
For Nigeria's young population, the anniversary is also a measure of trust. Each year the memorial returns to the same junction, and each year the response of the state is watched closely as a signal of whether the grievances of 2020 have been heard or merely deferred.
As long as those grievances stay open, activists say the gatherings will continue. Tuesday's crowd left the toll gate under tear gas, but their organisers pledged to return, and the demands they carry into 2027 are now part of the country's political calendar.
What happened at the Lekki Toll Gate on the sixth anniversary?
On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, police operatives fired tear gas to disperse a memorial gathering at the Lekki Toll Gate marking six years since the EndSARS shootings. Channels Television reported that the area later returned to calm, and that the activists pledged to continue pressing for justice and reforms.
What did Peter Obi say about the Lekki anniversary?
Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, said "we must never normalise injustice" and recalled that "peaceful #EndSARS protesters were met with gunfire" on the night of October 20, 2020, calling for justice, accountability and respect for human rights, according to statements carried by Pulse Nigeria and Daily Post Nigeria.
Why are Nigerians still marking EndSARS anniversaries?
Because the core demands of the 2020 protests were never fully resolved: accountability for those killed or injured, compensation for victims' families, and deep police reform. SARS itself was disbanded in October 2020, but activists say the justice questions remain open six years later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did anyone die at the Lekki Toll Gate in 2020?
The events of the night of October 20, 2020 remain contested. Official panels investigated the shootings, and the anniversary gatherings keep alive the memory of those who died, but no public process has fully answered the questions protesters raised.
Was SARS disbanded after the protests?
Yes. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad was disbanded in October 2020 following the nationwide protests, though campaigners say broader police reforms demanded by the movement are still incomplete.
Sources: Channels Television (Oct 20, 2026); Pulse Nigeria (Oct 20, 2026); Daily Post Nigeria (Oct 20, 2026); Parallel Facts (Oct 20, 2026).
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