| End SARS memorial protest | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of End SARS | |||
| Date | 20 October 2021 | ||
| Location | Nigeria | ||
| Caused by | 2020 Lekki shooting and lack of freedom of expression | ||
| Methods | Protest, demonstrations, online activism, civil disobedience, marches | ||
| Status | Ongoing | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Casualties | |||
| Arrested | 2 | ||
| Official website | |||
The 2021 EndSARS memorial protest Was a protest carried out by Nigerians and End SARS activist to mark the one year anniversary of the Lekki toll gate shooting which took place on 20 October, 2020. [1] [2] [3]
After the aftermath of End SARS protest, End SARS activists announced that there would be a memorial to mark the Lekki Shootings. [4] On 19 October 2021, Mr Macaroni and Falz announced that the protest will be carried out by cars in accordance to the message by the police force, which prohibited any form of protest. [5] [6]
On 19 October, it was reported that troops of security operatives were all positioned at the toll gate to ensure that no protest would be held on 20 October. [7]
On 20 October, protesters gathered mainly at the Lekki Toll Gate at as early as 6 AM inside their cars, trucks and buses. Some waved the Nigerian flag while shouting "End SARS" and "End Bad Government". It was also reported that some protesters who moved on feet were arrested. [8]
At about 2 PM, tear gas was shot at protesters which caused some of them to leave the scene leaving their cars and other items behind. [8]
Falz and Mr Macaroni joined the protesters, who continued their protest. An Uber driver was reported to be brutalized by the police and 2 journalists were allegedly arrested. [9] [10] [11]
Protesters gathered at the Unity Fountains, Maitama to hold a peaceful protest. Protesters moved on foot shouting "End SARS" until they were dispersed by police men. [8]
It was also reported that protesters against End SARS were seen carrying place cards with inscriptions that the Lekki toll gate shooting was a hoax. [8]
At about 4 PM, protesters returned to carry out the protest. [12] [13] [14]
In Porthacourt, protesters took to the streets at about 5 pm organizing a candle light procession. [8]
Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 Nigerian states, it is the second most populous state but the smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin for 10 km, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the north for about 283 km, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.
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The Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, is a 1.36 km cable-stayed bridge in Lagos State. It links the Phase 1 area of Lekki, with Ikoyi district of Lagos. The bridge was commissioned on 29 May 2013 by the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola.
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The Admiralty Circle plaza, commonly known as the Lekki toll gate, is located in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State in Nigeria. It was established to collect tolls along the 49 km road expansion on Lekki–Eti-Osa Expressway. It is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between Lagos State's government and Messrs Ikeja Concession Company Limited LCC. The activity commenced at the plaza on 5 January 2011.
End SARS, widely written as #EndSARS, was a decentralised social movement and series of mass protests against police brutality in Nigeria that mainly occurred in 2020. The movement's slogan called for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit of the Nigerian Police known for its long record of abuse against Nigerian citizens. The protests originated from a Twitter campaign in 2017, using the hashtag #EndSARS to demand the unit's disbandment by the Nigerian government. The movement experienced a resurgence in October 2020 following further revelations of the unit's abuses, leading to mass demonstrations across major cities in Nigeria, and widespread outrage on social media platforms. The hashtag #EndSARS accumulated over 28 million tweets on Twitter alone. Solidarity protests and demonstrations by Nigerians in the diaspora and sympathizers occurred in many major cities around the world. Notably, the movement was predominantly led by young Nigerians and expanded to include demands for good governance and accountability, amidst unprecedented hardship in the country.
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The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was a Nigerian Police Force unit created in late 1992 to deal with crimes associated with robbery, motor vehicle theft, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and firearms. It was part of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), headed by the then Deputy Inspector General of Police Anthony Ogbizi.
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