The Lagos State Police Command has announced the release of all demonstrators detained during a commemoration of the #EndSARS protests at the Lekki Toll Gate on Sunday.
Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the release, stating that Commissioner of Police Olanrewaju Ishola personally supervised the process.
“All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on the ground at the SCID to personally ensure this,” Hundeyin posted on X.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong also confirmed that all 22 activists arrested during the memorial were released, and that items seized from them had been returned. He stated, “We had a discussion with the Commissioner of Police, who came over to the State CID regarding the matter.”
The demonstrators gathered around 8:30 a.m. to mark the fourth anniversary of the October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate shooting, where peaceful protesters were killed during the #EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality.
They held banners and placards, demanding the implementation of reports from various judicial panels established after the 2020 protests.
However, the police labeled the gathering as illegal, citing that the protesters did not seek prior approval. Commissioner Ishola remarked, “Constitutionally, they should write to me as the Commissioner of Police of their intention to do so. They did not write to us, and as such, any such gathering is illegal.”
Despite the release, protesters alleged police brutality during the memorial. One activist, speaking from a police vehicle, claimed, “I was brutalized and beaten by the police. We are asking when it has become illegal to protest in this country.”
International human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the police actions, stating, “Amnesty International condemns the Nigeria police for the violent attack on people who assembled at Lekki Toll Gate to honor peaceful protesters killed during the #EndSARS protests… The reckless use of tear gas and arrests are unacceptable.”
