On Sunday, what began as a peaceful fourth-year commemoration of the #EndSARS massacre victims spiralled out of control when police officers stationed at the Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos State started shooting tear gas canisters at scores of people.

Moments later, the police arrested over 17 participants who were present at the commemoration.

Some of the participants were first brutalised by the police before being subsequently locked up in a Black Maria. They were then later taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Lagos.

This was, however, not the first time the police would be assaulting Nigerians for honouring the EndSARS protesters, mostly youths, who were brutally killed during the October 20, 2020, protests to end police brutality.

READ ALSO: 4 Arrested As Army, Police Disperse #EndSARS Protesters With Tear Gas, Acid Water

OCTOBER 2021

During the first commemoration of the #EndSARS protests, the police arrested over 30 participants. This was before its officers had fired tear gas canisters to disperse the gathering.

The event was carried out by a motorcade bearing protesters moving through Lekki Toll Gate.

It had been largely peaceful without being a threat to security or peace until the police alleged hoodlums had taken over and began firing tear gas into the crowd. As this went on, the police also started arresting protesters.

OCTOBER 2022

The same trend repeated itself in 2022 as the police fired tear gas at participants of the #EndSARS memorial who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Plaza to commemorate the second-year anniversary.

During the incident, four youths were detained by the police with a claim that they were at the gathering to “cause chaos”.

Some journalists from media outfits in the state were also harassed by the law enforcement officers on the same day.

READ ALSO: Protesters Speak From Black Maria as Lagos Police Arrest Over 17 at EndSARS Memorial

OCTOBER 2023

On October 20, 2023, a memorial walk was organised to commemorate the third year since the incident happened.

Led by Adebowale Adedayo, a popular skitmaker who is also known as ‘Mr Macaroni’, dozens of Nigerians embarked on a solidarity walk to mark the third memorial of the Lekki shooting.

The third-year memorial was, however, marred by heavy police presence at the Lekki Toll Plaza with Idowu Owohunwa, who was Lagos Police Commissioner, claiming his men were deployed to the location to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

‘The Police Have Learnt Nothing’ — Activist on EndSARS Memorial in Lagos

On Sunday, Sanyaolu Juwon, an activist and the director of Take It Back (TIB) Movement who joined the EndSARS memorial in Lagos State, told FIJ that the police have failed to learn from the past.

Juwon said this while confirming the release of about 22 protesters who were arrested in the morning at the EndSARS memorial.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Lagos Police Teargas EndSARS Memorial Demonstrators

For Juwon, the actions of the police were a reflection of the lawlessness of the federal government.

“The EndSARS protest was an opportunity to call for the accountability of policemen. But unfortunately, four years after, the police have learnt nothing,” he stated.

“They have continued to be repressive. You see how they handled the August 1 to 10 protest. We saw how they hounded thousands of protesters including minors. And on October 1, how they handled protesters in Abuja.

READ ALSO: Lagos Police Can’t Justify Arrest, Release EndSARS Memorial Protesters

“The police have definitely not changed their skin, and their accountability has practically become worse as we speak. It is important that the Nigerian police continue to hold the police accountable. And beyond that, the position of the police is a reflection of the lawlessness of our government.

“If this lawlessness has not been sanctioned by the president of the country, the police will not behave in this manner. It is important for Nigerians to also hold the government accountable.”
The post FLASHBACK: Police Harassing #EndSARS Memorial Participants Every Year appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.