Operatives of the Nigeria Police have repeatedly arrested no fewer than 18 protesters commemorating the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.
The national protests, which took place between October 1 and 20, 2020, were in response to police violence against citizens.
However, on October 20, 2020, there were apparently fatalities at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State during the protest.
While marking the day on Sunday, some young people gathering at the toll gate were teargassed and picked up by police.
Separate distress messages provided to our correspondent by the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, and the Initiator of the Creative Change Centre, Omole Ibukun, stated that Hassan Soweto, the National Spokesperson of the Youth Rights Campaign, had been detained.
“Soweto and 17 other members of the #EndBadGovernance Movement Lagos were arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate this morning by the police. They were there to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS killings. Where they have been taken to is not yet known. We demand their immediate and unconditional release. Peaceful protest is a fundamental right. Thank you,” the message read.
Other names mentioned by Sanyaolu are Remilekun Orunsolu, Olamide Thomas, Michael Adedeji, Adeseye Eshe, and Olamilekan Sanusi.
Meanwhile, Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress’ presidential candidate for the 2023 election, tweeted that the demonstrators were arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate and abused before being loaded into a Black Maria van.
Sowore stated that security personnel transferred the apprehended individuals to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Lagos’ Yaba district.
Also, on Sunday, an X user identified as Frednardo da Vinci, tweeting as #obinnafrednardo, posted a video of some people chanting solidarity songs in a moving vehicle: “We have just been arrested at the Lekki toll gate where we marched out to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the victims of #EndSARS.”
When called, Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, was unavailable at the time of reporting this story, with calls to his mobile number going unanswered and indicating a busy line.
