On Sunday, demonstrators gathered at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protest, which was a movement against police brutality in October 2020.
The memorial sought to honor those who lost their lives during the protests. Youths arrived at the toll gate around 8:30 am with banners and placards, demanding the full implementation of the judicial inquiry reports that were conducted after the protests.
However, the event took a tense turn as reports surfaced that police operatives dispersed the peaceful demonstrators and arrested several participants. Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong stated that around 18 activists, including Comrade Taiwo Soweto, were arrested and that some demonstrators were brutalized by the police. Those detained were reportedly held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Yaba, Lagos.
Effiong condemned the actions of the Lagos State Police Command, calling them unconstitutional and unacceptable. The arrests have sparked concerns about continued police misconduct, even as demonstrators commemorated a movement that sought to address similar abuses.