Six years after the tragic crackdown on peaceful #EndSARS protesters, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has officially called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Lagos State Government to tender an unreserved public apology to the victims and the nation for the Lekki Toll Gate massacre.
The civil society organization made the demand in a comprehensive statement issued in Abuja on October 19, 2026, ahead of the sixth anniversary commemorating the events of October 20, 2020. Speaking on behalf of the advocacy group, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA, urged government authorities to move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate genuine accountability.
”It remains an enduring wound on our national conscience that unarmed citizens peacefully demanding governance reforms and an end to police brutality were met with lethal force while holding the national flag,” Oluwafemi stated. “Six years on, justice has been repeatedly deferred. The Federal Government and the Lagos State Government must offer a formal, unreserved public apology and implement full reparations for the victims and affected families.”
The press release highlighted four core demands addressed to both tiers of government; A formal acknowledgement of state failure and responsibility regarding the military deployment and security conduct at the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos. The press also requested immediate prosecution of indicted security personnel and military officers involved in the shooting of unarmed demonstrators and full financial compensation, healthcare support, and restitution for survivors and families of deceased victims.
The Implementation of structural police reforms to prevent extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and systemic abuses by law enforcement. On the evening of October 20, 2020, officers of the Nigerian Military opened fire on peaceful demonstrators gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State. Protesters had assembled under the banner of the #EndSARS movement to demand the disbandment of the rogue Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and an end to police violence.
Subsequent findings by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, headed by retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, described the action as a “massacre” in context, noting that security forces shot and killed unarmed protesters waving the Nigerian national flag. Furthermore, in July 2024, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled that the Nigerian government violated international human rights standards during the crackdown and ordered monetary compensation to named victims.
Despite persistent calls from domestic human rights defenders and international observers, CAPPA emphasized that comprehensive compensation and institutional accountability remain unfulfilled six years after the event.
