Police disperse protesters with tear gas during #EndSARS 4th anniversary rally at Lekki Toll Gate
Officers of the Lagos State Police Command used tear gas and made arrests on Sunday as they dispersed protesters rallying to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, a movement that gained international attention in October 2020.
Videos from the scene showed demonstrators fleeing as shots were fired into the air, and clouds of tear gas filled the area.
The protesters, who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate around 8:30 a.m. with banners and placards, called for the full implementation of the recommendations made by various judicial panels of inquiry set up in the aftermath of the 2020 protests.
Their placards carried messages demanding justice and accountability for the victims of police brutality and the implementation of reforms promised by the government.
In October 2020, the #EndSARS movement erupted across Nigeria, as thousands of young people took to the streets in major cities to protest against the rampant abuses, killings, and extortion committed by officers of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit within the Nigerian Police Force.
The protests culminated in a tragic confrontation at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, where security forces, including the Nigerian military, reportedly opened fire on peaceful demonstrators. The exact number of fatalities remains contested, but numerous people were severely injured, with reports of deaths surfacing in the days that followed.
Following the tragic events of October 2020, the Nigerian government established judicial panels across various states to investigate the incidents and address the protesters’ demands. However, nearly four years later, many of the panels’ recommendations have yet to be fully implemented, leaving protesters and human rights advocates disillusioned.
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Speaking at the scene of the recent rally, one of the protesters recounted his experience during the police dispersal. In his words “They have started firing tear gas at us. I fell into the gutter; I was hit on the head,” he told an online media.
In another video obtained by Vanguard on social media, one of the arrested activists, Hassan Soweto, speaking from the Black Maria, said: “A group of protesters who wanted to mark the fourth anniversary of the EndSars Lekki Toll Gate event were apprehended by a group of policemen under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State. I am right now speaking to you from a black maria, completely beaten by police officers without provocation.
“We’re asking here today when the right to commemorate the dead has become illegal and criminalised in this country. We’re simply here to mark the passage of our brothers and sisters who were killed four years ago, we’re asking the international media and members of the public to prevail over the Nigerian government, and the Tinubu regime to stop further attacks on protesters in our country. We’re never going to give up on our right to continue to demand our rights.”
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, defended the police action, stating that the protesters were causing traffic disruptions at the toll gate.
“They were told to disperse, but they were adamant; we had to use minimal force to disperse them,” Hundeyin said.
He denied that there was any confrontation between the police and protesters, despite reports of arrests and injuries.
As the world reflects on the significance of the #EndSARS movement, which brought attention to police brutality in Nigeria and across Africa, the events of this rally highlight ongoing frustrations among activists.
Many are still seeking justice for the victims of the Lekki Toll Gate shooting and demanding that the promises of police reform and accountability be fulfilled.
Earlier today, a group of Nigerians gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate to mark the 4th anniversary of the #EndSARS protest, which resulted in the massacre of unarmed protesters. The police dispersed the crowd with teargas. pic.twitter.com/FoDNFEq4bm
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) October 20, 2024
Minister inspects Independence Bridge in Lagos after reopening
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has visited the Independence Bridge in Lagos on Thursday after ordering its immediate reopening.
The minister on Wednesday ordered the reopening of the bridge shut for repair work on Wednesday following the massive gridlock that stretched from Lekki through Victoria Island to Falomo Bridge and beyond.
However, the commencement of repairs on Wednesday caused major traffic with Lagos residents spending hours on the road.
The minister’s visit, it was learnt, was to assess the rehabilitation and how to restructure the work in a way to cause minimal disruption to movement of people using the bridge and alternative roads.
A statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Hon. Orji Uchenna Orji, in Abuja on Thursday, confirmed the minister’s arrival in Lagos for the visit.
“Less than 24 hours after the sad traffic experience on the Independence Bridge in Lagos, the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON, has arrived in Lagos to assess the situation with a view to providing immediate and permanent intervention,” the statement read.
The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, had earlier confirmed the reopening of the bridge.
She expressed the Ministry of Works’ regret for the inconvenience caused to the motoring public by the closure and appealed for their understanding and cooperation
She had said, “Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure palliative works are carried out on the already opened bridge to make it motorable .
“The ministry hereby express regret for the inconvenience caused to the motoring public by the closure and appealed for their understanding and cooperation.”
Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council
A 27-year -old man, Rabiu Suleiman, has reportedly stabbed and inflicted serious injuries on his friend, Yunusa Muazu, during a fight over a woman at Tipper garage area of Gwagwalada in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.
A resident of the area, who simply gave his name as Sanusi, said the incident occurred on Tuesday night after a fight broke out at a viewing centre at Unguwar Dodo area of the town.
He said Suleiman had accused his friend, Muazu of dating his friend, Jamila Yakubu, who he intends to marry.
He said trouble started when Jamila left Suleiman’s house on Tuesday around 8:34 pm, only for him to meet her with his friend, Muazu, discussing at a viewing centre, where he had gone to watch football.
He said Suleiman, upon sighting his woman with his friend, angrily walked straight to them and slapped him, a situation, which resulted in a fight between them.
He said in the process, Suleiman allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed his friend in the back, which attracted the attention of people at the viewing centre.
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According to him, some people at the centre, who tried to separate them, were overpowered, not until when some vigilantes rushed to the scene and arrested Suleiman.
He said his friend, who was lying on the floor in a pool of his blood, was rushed to a nearby hospital.
He said the lady quietly left the scene when the fight broke out.
A member of the vigilante, Salihu Bala, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect had been arrested and handed over to security personnel in the area.
He said the vigilantes were making efforts to trace the woman’s location and arrest her.
He said, “The vigilantes even went to the family house of the girl on Wednesday morning but could not find her but we are still trailing her movement to ensure she is arrested.”
Bala said the injured victim was recuperating at the hospital, alleging that the victim and his friend were into drugs.
The spokeswoman of the FCT police command, SP Josephine Adeh, did not respond to the calls and text messages sent to her on the incident.
South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail
A High Court in the Eastern Cape division of South Africa has acquitted Timothy Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist, accused of raping young women in his church.
Omotoso and his two co-defendants were arraigned on a 32-count charge bordering on rape and human trafficking.
News24 reported that Omotoso would be deported to Nigeria immediately after the judgment.
The co-defendants are Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho.
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Several young women had accused the pastor of luring them into his home in Umhlanga, a town in South Africa, where he allegedly molested them.
In April 2017, the Nigerian pastor was arrested shortly after he landed at an airport in South Africa.
He is the senior pastor of the Jesus Dominion International based in Durban, South Africa. He is also the founder of Tim Omotoso Global Outreach and Ancient of Day Broadcasting Network
According to News24, Irma Schoeman, the trial judge, yesterday, ruled that the state prosecutor did not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The Nigerian pastor had been in South African prison since his arrest in 2017.
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