The protesters at the EndSARS memorial have been taken into custody by the Nigeria Police Force, or NPF. On Sunday, October 20, 2024, the demonstrators were taken into custody at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State and imprisoned in a black maria.
Some of the arrested protesters claimed in a social media video that went viral that the peaceful march was interrupted when police started shooting and used tear gas to disperse the gathering.
The police have not yet released an official comment regarding the incident as of the time this article was filed. The purpose of the meeting, it was learnt, is to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the October 20 EndSARS memorial.
A nationwide demonstration against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, a supposedly infamous Nigeria Police unit with a long history of abusing civilians was organised by Nigerian youths in 2020 under the hashtag #EndSARS.
On October 20, 2020, the Nigerian military opened fire on peaceful demonstrators gathered at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, killing unarmed youths. Since then, Tollgate has become a symbolic location for EndSARS protests.
