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EndSARS anniversary: Police occupy Lekki toll gate, others, activists set for protest
There are strong indications that security agents and protesters will clash in many cities across the country today (Wednesday) as activists and youths insist on gathering in public spaces to commemorate the first year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, which rocked the nation last year.
For instance, heavily armed police personnel, on Tuesday, took over the Lekki tollgate area, which was the hotbed of last year’s protests.
It was also learnt that some policemen in plain clothes would join the protesters in a bid to monitor them closely.EndSARS memorial protests are planned to take place in Lagos, Abuja, Aba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Enugu, Yola, Ibadan, Benin City, Jos, Ilorin, Asaba and Osogbo, among others.
In October last year, spontaneous protests had erupted in different parts of the country against police brutality, especially by the personnel of the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad, and the #EndSARS movement soon garnered international support.
The protests, however, turned bloody on October 20, 2020, when soldiers and policemen fired at the protesters in Lagos.
In Abuja, the nation’s capital, hoodlums attacked the protesters and injured many of them. They also looted warehouses and set ablaze over 18 cars and vandalised more than 12 vehicles.
In response to the outcry, the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), disbanded the Special Anti-Robbery Squad police unit, the fourth time the Federal Government had disbanded it.
On October 19, 2020, the President accused the protesters of trying to cause anarchy and warned that the government would not tolerate that.
The police have, however, warned the organisers and attendees of the commemorative protests to desist from going ahead with their plans as they will be arrested and prosecuted.
In Abuja, it was gathered on Tuesday that the police would deploy personnel at strategic locations as part of plans to frustrate youths from staging street protests in commemoration of the rally.
Sources said security agencies would deploy personnel in various entry and exit points of the Federal Capital Territory, including Mararaba, Nyanya, Zuba and Airport Road.
Our correspondents also learnt that security would be tightened around many public buildings and infrastructure in the FCT.
It was gathered that the Unity Fountain, which is the main protest spot in Abuja, would be cordoned off to prevent any form of gathering there.
A source said, “The security agencies are not very comfortable with plans by some emergency activists to stage a protest. So, we have put in place a plan of action to ensure that the protest or street walk doesn’t degenerate into violence.
“I won’t be able to disclose our strategic plan, but suffice it to say that security will be beefed up at strategic locations and government offices, banks and other public utilities. Many undercover operatives will also be part of protesters to fish out troublemakers among them.”
In Lagos, personnel of the state police command embarked on a show of force on Tuesday to intimidate the organisers and participants of the #EndSARS memorial protests in the state.
Fully armed personnel in police patrol vehicles were seen patrolling potential protest grounds in a show of force.
There was heavy police presence at the Lekki tollgate.
A notice from the organisers of the protest sighted by one of our correspondents read, “In memorial of the lives lost on the 20-10-2020, there will be a memorial car procession on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, taking place at the Lekki Tollgate by 8.10am. We should all endeavour to stay in our vehicles throughout the procession.”
In Oyo State, the organisers said the commemorative protest would start by 9am at under the bridge, Iwo Road, Ibadan, while a candlelight procession would follow at the Ojoo roundabout by 4pm.
“There will be a morning walk for #EndSARS heroes by 9am at Iwo Road, under bridge, opposite Tantalizers with a candle light procession at 4pm at Ojoo roundabout, Ibadan,” a notice by the organisers read.
The Lagos State Police Command, however, said no form of street protest in commemoration of the #EndSARS anniversary would be tolerated in any part of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, in a statement on Tuesday, dispelled the rumour circulating on social media that the police had agreed to allow street demonstrations to commemorate the #EndSARS protest anniversary scheduled to hold today (Wednesday).
He said the command would only allow indoor and virtual events in commemoration of the anniversary.
Ajisebutu said, “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a post being circulated on social media insinuating that the police in Lagos have agreed to allow street protests in commemoration of the one-year #EndSARS anniversary on October 20, 2021.
“On the contrary, the police will only allow indoor and virtual events in commemoration of the #EndSARS anniversary and will provide adequate security at the venue(s) if known. This is in recognition of the rights of every Nigerian to express his or her interest.
“We wish we could permit such street protests. However, intelligence at our disposal has revealed plans by some faceless groups or individuals to stage an anti-#EndSARS anniversary protest in the state on the same day.
“In view of the conflicting interest between the pro and anti-#EndSARS anniversary groups and threat to cause mayhem, the command once again warns both groups against any form of street protest between now and October 20, 2021 and beyond.”
Similarly, the Osun State Police Command, on Tuesday, warned against any unlawful assembly or gathering in commemoration of the #EndSARS protests anniversary in the state.
The spokesperson for the command, Yemisi Opalola, said intelligence available to it indicated plans by some youths and groups of people to embark on protests.
Opalola said the state Commissioner of Police, Wale Olokode, had given a marching order to area commanders, divisional police officers and tactical units to be at alert and nip in the bud any act capable of truncating the peace of the state.
She said the commissioner also advised parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to be law-abiding and desist from protests and public gatherings, adding that the police would arrest and prosecute anyone who acted contrary to the directive.
Meanwhile, global rights group, Amnesty International, has said despite promises of reform, police impunity is continuing even as it accused investigation panels set up to probe police brutality of dashing victims’ hope of getting justice.
Amnesty said this in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria: No justice for victims of police brutality one year after #EndSARS protests’.
It said no one had been brought to justice for the torture, violence, and killings of peaceful protesters, while reports of human rights violations by the police continue.
“Amnesty International was able to establish that pro-government supporters instigated violence at many of the demonstrations, providing cover for the police to use lethal force against peaceful protesters. The organisation also found that detained protesters were tortured and refused or denied immediate access to lawyers,” it said.
The rights group stated that a year on and despite the gravity of the human rights violations, “not a single member of the security forces has been prosecuted, while judicial panels of inquiry set up to investigate abuses by officers have made little progress.”
Amnesty said the President must fulfil his promise of reforming the police to end the reign of impunity that Nigerians had been protesting against for many years.
It said under the pretext of restoring order, horrific injuries were inflicted on hundreds of people and at least 56 persons were killed, among them dozens of young people, as Nigerian security forces used unnecessary and excessive force to disperse peaceful protesters across the country.
“It is unacceptable that despite overwhelming evidence, the government continues to deny the use of live ammunition on protesters at the Lekki tollgate exactly a year ago,” said Amnesty International’s Country Director, Ms Osai Ojigho.
It said after reviewing videos and photos of the protest sites, it found that in nearly 21 incidents where violence occurred between peaceful protesters and pro-government supporters, security forces not only failed to take preventive measures to avoid peaceful assemblies from being disrupted, but they also failed to protect protesters from violent attacks.
“In many instances, the police and other security agents watched as apparently government-backed armed thugs attacked peaceful protesters. In some cases, these thugs were brought to the protest sites in government vehicles. On at least two occasions, these attacks resulted in the death of protesters,” Ojigho added.
Amnesty also documented numerous cases in which the police denied or delayed access to lawyers and medical care by detainees. This was despite repeated requests from detainees to see or call a lawyer – and repeated requests from lawyers at places of detention to have access to the detainees.
It said investigative panels set up to look into police brutality had so far been marred by prolonged adjournments, intimidation of witnesses by police lawyers and the failure of police officers to appear as witnesses.
It said some panels had failed to sit in some states and had taken indefinite breaks.
“What we observed at these panels is discouraging and clearly shows that there is no real commitment to ensuring justice for victims of police violence across Nigeria. These panels raised hopes of getting justice but in some states, this is quickly vanishing,” Ojigho stated.
The Human Rights Watch has lamented the failure of the Federal Government to hold accountable security operatives, who allegedly brutalised and killed #EndSARS protesters in October 2020.
The international human rights group said the victims were still awaiting justice a year after security forces violently suppressed protests calling for an end to police brutality in Nigeria.
The HRW in a statement on Tuesday titled, ‘Nigeria: A year on, no justice for #EndSARS crackdown’, noted that the prospects for accountability remained inconclusive and bleak.
It said, “Nigerian authorities should take concrete and decisive steps to ensure that those implicated in abuses against protesters are held accountable.
“In October 2020, young people across Nigeria took to the streets calling for disbanding an abusive police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and for ending brutality in a movement tagged: #EndSARS. Security forces responded with excessive force, including gunfire, which resulted in death and serious injuries.”
Nigerian researcher at Human Rights Watch, Anietie Ewang, advised the government to ensure justice for those abused during the nationwide protests.
“Failure to pursue justice will strengthen the culture of impunity and reinforce the perceptions that brought protesters to the streets in the first place,” she noted.
Between October 2020 and August 2021, the HRW said it interviewed 54 persons, including victims and their family members, protesters, protest supporters, representatives of civil society groups, medical service providers, political analysts and journalists on how the crackdowns unfolded and how the victims had been affected.
The rights group also wrote letters to the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army to share findings and ask questions about officers’ conduct during the protests, but has yet to receive a response.
The PUNCH reports that the harassment and brutalisation of citizens have continued despite the #EndSARS protests, which rocked the country last year.
Despite the disbandment of the SARS, findings by our correspondents showed that the harassment and brutalisation of citizens by the police had continued.
Some of the notable cases during the period under review included the harassment of six journalists, including Solomon Odeniyi and Chidiebube Okeoma of The PUNCH, who were arrested and detained in the course of carrying out their official duties.
Others include the harassment of 10 protesters on February 13, 2021 during the Occupy Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, and the alleged shooting of nine persons on June 21 by a police inspector attached to Special Protection Unit, Base 9, Umuahia. Five of the victims were said to have died from gunshot wounds, while four survived.
Others are the harassment of 57 Shiite members on September 28, 2021, who were protesting the ordeal of their leader in Abuja; the brutalisation of a cameraman attached to the Edo State Government House and a certain Broderick Omeisan in Warri, Delta State.
However, Amnesty International said in a report in August that it documented 115 persons killed by the army and the police, and over 500 arrests made by the two institutions between March and June 2021 in the South-East.
The National Coordinator, Advocate for Peoples Rights and Justice, Giwa Victor, said the lack of punishment to serve as a deterrent to others had ensured that the scourge of harassment and brutalisation continued to thrive in the country.
He said, “Errant personnel are not being made to account for their actions. The fact that there is no punishment will make this scourge to continue to thrive in the country. How many have been dismissed and prosecuted this year alone?
“It is not enough to tell us they will be investigated, just like the IG has promised in the most recent case in Kogi; the action that should follow should be the one capable of deterring others. Not until they are seen to be punished they would continue with their heinous act and have the belief that they can get away with it.”
The Centre for Democracy and Development said it was displeased that despite the clear message that the protests sent, the government had not exhibited any iota of seriousness to address the trigger factors.
In a statement by its Director, Idayat Hassan, the group said if this continued to be ignored, it could reignite a similar experience in no distant time.
Son of the late head of state and former Minister of Defence, Chief Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, in a letter of remembrance and solidarity written on behalf of the Aguiyi-Ironsi family to the Fajuyi family, marking the 60th anniversary of his death, said July 29, 2026, will be a solemn occasion to honour a soldier they described as “a war hero who offered himself as a sacrificial lamb for the unity and integrity of the nation.”
The family recalled that Lt Col Fajuyi, then Military Governor of the Western Region, made the ultimate sacrifice in 1966 when mutinous soldiers abducted him alongside Maj Gen Aguiyi-Ironsi in Ibadan during the military counter-coup.
They stated that Fajuyi, in a defining moment of conscience, chose honour over personal safety and refused to abandon his guest and superior, a decision the family said reflected the highest ideals of loyalty, integrity, and military brotherhood.
According to the statement, his action transformed him into a national martyr whose legacy continued to inspire unity, courage, and selfless service.
The Aguiyi-Ironsi family also expressed sympathy with the Fajuyi family, acknowledging the enduring pain of their loss, while praying for continued strength, comfort, and peace.
The statement further stated, “He did not run. He did not hide. He chose to stand. In that sacrificial decision lay the essence of his greatness.”
The family called on government institutions, military authorities, and custodians of national memory to ensure sustained recognition and support for the Fajuyi family, stressing that his sacrifice remained a national responsibility to remember and honour.
It urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from his life and death, noting that his legacy continues to challenge the nation to uphold unity, courage, honour, and selfless service.
Fajuyi was killed on July 29, 1966, during the military counter-coup in Ibadan alongside Aguiyi-Ironsi.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The emergence of Chief Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere as the Minority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives has been described as a vindication of the fact that the Action People’s Party (APP ) represents the collective interests of the Nigerian masses.
Recall that recently, Ugochinyere was elected as the Minority Leader of the party in a keenly contested election of the Federal House of Representatives.
According to a statement by the Chairman Anambra state chapter of the APP Chief Chijioke Okeke, Ugochinyere had been consistent in offering himself as the voice of the people and that of the voiceless.
“It did not come to us as a surprise that our great leader High Chief Ugochinyere became the Minority leader of the Federal House of Representatives because he has always been consistent and focus towards providing himself as the only vent for the masses at the Green Chambers”
“We know his pedegre as a politician as well as a leader and he has remained focus in ensuring that the voiceless are heard and this is also a vindication of our party’s unflinching desire to provide a veritable platform in a democratic process”
Okeke further stated that the fifth columnists who had attempted to deregister the party have been put to shame adding that the party shall continue to champion the interests of the Nigerian people.
“They made failed attempt at deregistering our great party but they lost sight of the fact that the APP is firmely rooted on ground and has all that it takes to drive the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian populace and with this recent development our traducers have been put to shame and our party is on the path of further greatness “. Okeke noted .
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
In a statement shared on social media, VeryDarkMan argued that Wike may not fully understand the pain and trauma experienced by parents of abducted children and affected teachers. He claimed that the minister’s children were educated abroad, away from the security challenges facing many Nigerian families.Nigerian entertainment news
The activist stated that insecurity, kidnapping, and attacks on schools remain serious national concerns and should not be dismissed or reduced to political issues. He stressed that the fears and frustrations of parents whose children face security threats deserve greater attention from public officials.
VeryDarkMan further warned that political power is temporary, urging leaders to remain accountable to the people and sensitive to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
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