Arrests have been made by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) against the EndSARS memorial protesters.
On Sunday, October 20, 2024, police detained the demonstrators at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State and sent them to a black maria for further detention.
A video of several of the detained protesters going viral on social media claimed that the tear gas and gunfire from the police broke up the otherwise calm march.
No official remark regarding the incident has been made by the police as of the report’s filing date.
The event will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the EndSARS memorial on October 20, according to Gistcon.
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is a controversial squad of the Nigerian Police that has a history of abusing citizens. In 2020, young Nigerians demonstrated against this unit nationally using the hashtag #EndSARS.
A group of unarmed youngsters were killed after the Nigerian military opened fire on demonstrators gathered at Lagos’s Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020.
In the wake of the tragedy, Tollgate has taken on symbolic significance as a location for rallies against SARS.