Tensions flared at the Lekki tollgate on Tuesday morning, October 20, 2026, as heavily armed officers of the Lagos State Police Command fired teargas to disperse residents, journalists, civil society advocates, and political figures gathered for a memorial service.
​The quiet memorial, organized by civil society organization Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, was convened to lay wreaths and pay tribute to victims of police brutality and those who lost their lives during the historic October 20, 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations.
​According to eyewitnesses, attendees began assembling around 8:30 AM at the Lekki tollgate. However, before participants could lay their memorial wreaths, police personnel deployed to the scene launched teargas canisters directly into the gathering.
​The sudden barrage sent participants, media professionals, and passerby scrambling for safety along the Lekki-Epe Expressway as thick clouds of smoke enveloped the area.
​Among those caught in the teargas were prominent political figures, including; Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos State and Funso Doherty, gubernatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
​Speaking to reporters while recovering from the effects of the teargas, Rhodes-Vivour condemned the security forces’ actions:
​”We came here peacefully to honor fellow citizens who lost their lives six years ago. Laying flowers at a venue of historic remembrance is not a crime under any Nigerian law. Firing teargas on unarmed citizens and journalists shows that the culture of impunity still persists.”
​Over 30 police patrol trucks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), and armed security personnel were stationed strategically around the toll plaza to restrict public gatherings.
​Addressing newsmen on the security deployment, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that the command acted to prevent potential breakdown of law and order and disruption of traffic on the busy commercial corridor.
​The police command maintained that while citizens have the right to peaceful remembrance, public gatherings at sensitive infrastructure like the Lekki tollgate remain restricted to prevent public disturbance.
​The #EndSARS movement originated in October 2020 as a nationwide youth-led campaign against extortion, torture, and extrajudicial killings committed by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
​The Lekki tollgate became the global focal point of the movement following the events of October 20, 2020, when security forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators enforcing a state-imposed curfew. Despite years of official panels and public calls for reform, anniversary dates continue to bring renewed demands for police accountability and compensation for victims’ families.
