Five years ago today, Nigerian soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos — an event that shocked the nation and became a symbol of the fight against police brutality. Obianuju Catherine Udeh, professionally known as DJ Switch, a Nigerian disc jockey (DJ), broadcast the horrific scenes live on Instagram. CNN later determined that the shooting lasted from 6:43 p.m. until at least 8:24 p.m., with videos showing graphic injuries and people bleeding on the ground, despite the Nigerian Army claiming that soldiers only fired their weapons into the air and used blanks, not live rounds. 

Although a curfew had been imposed about three hours before the shooting began, eyewitnesses reported that the protesters, who had occupied the Lekki toll gate in protest against widespread police brutality, were not warned before soldiers opened fire. The Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution, set up by the Lagos State Government to investigate the incident, stated on Page 294 of its final report more than a year later, that the military’s assault could in context be considered a “massacre.” The panel accused soldiers of “maiming and killing unarmed, helpless, and unresisting protesters, while sitting on the floor and waving their Nigerian Flags, while singing the National Anthem.” It was the ultimate betrayal of a country against its own citizens.

For nearly a month before that deadly night, young Nigerians across the country had engaged in peaceful demonstrations, calling for an end to police brutality. The primary target of these protests was the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), though originally tasked with combating armed robbery, had become synonymous with human rights abuses. Hence, the protest took on the title of #EndSARS, a clarion call to disband the abusive police unit. SARS officers were infamous for demanding hefty bribes at checkpoints and for violent confrontations with civilians that sometimes ended in death. In fact, the protests were sparked by a viral video showing SARS officers killing a young man in Delta state. Though heavily armed, SARS officers rarely wore uniforms, often donning black vests instead. As a result, many Nigerians found it difficult to tell the police apart from the criminals they were meant to chase. SARS came to be seen as a legally protected gang of armed robbers operating with impunity. It was not unusual for officers to stop young people on the road and force them, at gunpoint, to empty their bank accounts. The protests were young Nigerians saying, “Enough is Enough.” It was the birth of the revolutionary “Soro Soke” (Speak Up) generation.

Just three weeks into the protests, then-President Muhammadu Buhari agreed to disband SARS and replace it with a new unit — the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT). But if the late former president believed that move would quell the unrest, he was mistaken. The demonstrations had grown beyond opposition to a rogue police unit; they were a revolt against a deeply corrupt system in need of comprehensive reform. The protesters saw the SARS disbandment as only a nomenclature change as there was no plan to kick the unit’s members out of SWAT or the Nigeria Police Force.

As the protests raged on, Buhari on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, exactly a week before his government ordered soldiers to shoot at unarmed protesters, agreed to the five-point demand of protesters, which included halting the use of force against protesters and unconditional release of arrested citizens. Other demands were “setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct (within 10 days); psychological evaluation of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed; and increasing police salaries to ensure adequate compensation for protecting the lives and property of citizens.”

However, a review of actions taken by the government since that day shows that most of the demands were only accepted on paper, justifying protesters’ distrust. Although the police released many protesters and raised officers’ salaries by 20% more than a year later, the most important demands remain unfulfilled to this day. For example, there’s no evidence that the federal government ever set up an independent body to investigate and prosecute all reports of police misconduct within 10 days or even after 10 days as it promised. There’s also no evidence that the Nigeria Police Force ever conducted a psychological evaluation of all disbanded SARS officers before they were redeployed. Consequently, while SARS was officially scrapped as a unit, its officers who terrorised innocent citizens and sparked the protests continued operating under new units, leaving the dire situation largely unchanged or even worse.

Reacting to the deadly shooting at Lekki Toll Gate three days after in October 2020, now-President Bola Tinubu made what many considered to be inflammatory remarks and victim-blaming, saying, “Those that had suffered casualties during the gunshot need to answer some questions too. How were they there? How long were they there? What kind of characters were they?”

I will never forget: three days after the 20th of October 2020 #LekkiMassacre when Tinubu spoke to the media, his exact words were: "Those that had suffered casualties during the gunshot need to answer some questions too. How were they there? How long were they there? What kind…

— 'Fisayo Soyombo (@fisayosoyombo) October 20, 2025

Today, October 20, 2025, marking the fifth anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate shooting, Debo Adedayo, popularly known as Mr. Macaroni, said the violent assault on unarmed protesters by Nigerian soldiers would never be forgotten nor forgiven. Less than six months after the killings, Mr. Macaroni himself was stripped and beaten by police officers during a peaceful protest against the reopening of the toll gate on February 13, 2021 — proof that nothing had changed from the previous demonstrations. If anything, the comedian’s ordeal was a clear signal that the impunity in the Nigeria Police Force has only worsened, and the promise of the Federal Government to rein in the use of force against protesters was an elaborate ruse.

Nigerian Youths lost their lives, jobs, families and dreams at the hands of the most corrupt and evil People we call Leaders!!!
Even though my people are now in love with their Oppressors, this day 20/10/2020 is never to be forgotten nor forgiven! ✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/NH7O7xd8kg

— Mr Macaroni (@mrmacaronii) October 20, 2025

Since coming into office over two years ago, Tinubu, who called for police reform during the campaign, has done nothing of significance to make the Force a more responsible or professional organisation. On his watch, the police have only become more unhinged, in many cases operating like armed robbers without consequences and even engaging in shocking conduct such as cult activities. Young people are still being assaulted by police officers and men with taxpayer-funded guns are still robbing Nigerians of their hard-earned money at checkpoints in many parts of the country. Police officers are still wielding AK-47s at checkpoints like they are in a war zone and extorting Nigerians. There seems to be no recourse for victims, leaving many young Nigerians helpless and disengaged from the political process. They have concluded that it is not worth dying for Nigeria because nothing ever changes. In light of their helplessness, many now believe that demanding better treatment from their government is an exercise in futility. In their despair, they are turning to faith for hope, comfort, and the strength to endure the unbearable. 

For many who marched from September to October 2020 and hoped for a better future — one where people sworn to protect them would no longer assault and kill them — their despondence could not be greater. Five years on, police impunity has only worsened and justice has not been served. However, if meaningful change must come, history suggests that young people cannot afford to despair or disengage from the political process.