Police Disperse #EndSARS Memorial Participants With Tear Gas.

Police Disperse #EndSARS Memorial Participants With Tear Gas.

Police officers on Tuesday fired tear gas to disperse participants at a memorial gathering marking the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State.

The participants had gathered for a wreath laying ceremony organised by the Enough is Enough (EiE) movement in remembrance of those who died during the October 2020 protests against police brutality.

Those present included Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Reports indicated that participants left the gathering as tear gas spread across the area, disrupting the planned ceremony.

The incident occurred on October 20, the date associated with the 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations, which began in response to allegations of police brutality and misconduct by the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The Lekki Toll Gate was one of the major locations associated with the protests, which spread across several parts of Nigeria in October 2020.

The police had yet to provide an official explanation for Tuesday’s action in the reports available at the time of filing. Details of possible arrests, injuries or damage were also not immediately available.

The federal government announced the dissolution of SARS in October 2020 following the nationwide protests. Calls for accountability over alleged abuses and broader police reforms have continued since then.