LAGOS — Police on Tuesday fired tear gas to disperse a memorial held at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos to mark the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.

The event was organised by the civic group Enough is Enough (EiE). Among those affected were two Lagos governorship candidates, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), as well as journalists covering the event.

Police officers were already at the tollgate before participants arrived. A planned laying of 15 wreaths was abandoned, some people were reported injured, and traffic built up around the area.

Those being remembered included journalist Pelumi Onifade, who was shot dead during the 2020 protests. The Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry later confirmed nine deaths at Lekki, with four people missing and presumed dead.

Rights groups condemned the police action. The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) called for full enforcement of the Police Act 2020 and the Anti-Torture Act 2017, while the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) demanded apologies and compensation for victims and the implementation of a July 2024 ECOWAS Court judgment on the 2020 events.