October 20, (THEWILL) – Security operatives of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), on Thursday, fired teargas to disperse Nigerian Youths commemorating the memorial of the #EndSARS protest at Lekki tollgate.
The memorial procession was organised to mark the second anniversary of the #EndSARS movement.
A number of celebrities, including Folarin Falana, a Nigerian musician better known as Falz, were leading the profession on Thursday.
Others present at the Thursday procession to mark the second anniversary include Feyikemi Abudu and other youths.
THEWILL recalls that in October 2020, youths across the country took to the streets to demand an end to police brutality and extrajudicial killings by the disbanded special anti-robbery squad (SARS).
The tollgate was the epicentre of the protests.
Youths who gathered day and night at the tollgate were dispersed from the location by gun-wielding soldiers on October 20, 2020, an action which reportedly led to the loss of lives.
But on Thursday, the youths who marched through the tollgate as part of events to mark the second anniversary were confronted by heavily armed policemen deployed to man the tollgate.
Tear gas canisters, Water Cannons were fired by the policemen, while a crew of Arise TV were also allegedly harassed.
A man, identified as Desmond Jacob, was also picked up by men of the police.
He claimed that he was among peaceful protesters that converged at the Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020, the day of the shooting that led to the loss of lives of peaceful protesters.
Jacob knelt down in front of the toll gate crying before police officers came and picked him up.
After interrogation, he was released and asked to leave the toll gate.
Efforts to reach the Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, proved abortive as of the time of filing this report.
