Citizen NewsNG 
Nigerians across the country and beyond on Monday remembered the lives lost and the sacrifices made during the #EndSARS movement, which culminated in the tragic Lekki Toll Gate massacre five years ago.
The movement, which began as a call to end police brutality, transformed into a nationwide protest against bad governance, sparking widespread violence and bloodshed.
On October 20, 2020, soldiers from the 81st Division of the Nigerian Army fired live ammunition at unarmed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, who were holding Nigerian flags, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more.
The incident has been described as a “massacre” by victims and human rights organisations, with many demanding justice and accountability for the lives lost.
As Nigerians commemorate the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS movement, activists and civil society organisations are calling for an end to police brutality and state violence which has persisted with even more vicious.
The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) has also condemned the Nigerian government’s continued repression of peaceful protesters, citing today’s arrest and detention of #FreeNnamdiKanu protesters.
“We condemn, in the strongest terms, the latest wave of police repression against peaceful protesters demanding the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the WYSN said in a statement.
“It is unacceptable that, five years after the state-sponsored killing of unarmed protesters in 2020, the Nigerian Police Force continues to brutalise citizens for exercising their constitutional right to protest.”
The group demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanu protests and called for an end to all forms of intimidation and surveillance targeting activists, youth organisers, and civil society voices.
Many Nigerians have taken to social media to pay tribute to the victims of the Lekki Toll Gate massacre, with some using the hashtag #EndSARS to demand justice and accountability.
Also, a comedian and social activist, Debo Adedayo, known more commonly as Mr. Macaroni, wrote on @mrmacaronii, “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!”
Other Nigerians have also shared their thoughts on the matter, with some calling for the prosecution of those responsible for the massacre.
“Five years on, and the echoes of Lekki still pierce the silence we were forced into,” wrote @rmsaTm3.
“Rinu, your voice and the voices of those we lost remind us that justice delayed isn’t justice denied, but it’s a wound that festers. The world saw what happened; now Nigeria must act.”
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have documented numerous cases of police brutality and extrajudicial killings during the #EndSARS protests.
“Today we remember Pelumi Onifade — a reporter who was extrajudicially killed in Lagos in October 2020 while covering the #EndSARS Protests,” Amnesty International Nigeria tweeted.
As the nation remembers the victims of the Lekki Toll Gate massacre, many are calling for justice and accountability.
“We will never forget. We will always remember 20.10.20,” wrote @OurFavOnlineDoc, adding, “May those who died find rest. May their families find consolation. May their killers never know any peace. Forever in our hearts.”
@SavvyRinu wrote: “Five years on, we can only remember to resist. It shouldn’t have been at the expense of your lives. Many deniers of your deaths are still in power. We failed you and Nigeria failed us all. #EndSARS.”
The anniversary has also sparked renewed calls for the prosecution of those responsible for the massacre. “I think there’s enough evidence to write a petition against the then Lagos state governor, the CO of the Nigerian Army in Lekki, even the current president is a suspect, for the murder of this young man and over 100 others that fell on that day,” wrote @Crypticcodexx.
The commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS movement serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and accountability in Nigeria. As one Nigerian put it, “We have not forgotten. We have not healed. We are still crying for justice.”
In a statement, the Take it Back Movement proposed renaming the Lekki Toll Gate “ENDSARS Bus Stop” to honour the victims of the massacre.
“On October 20, 2020, peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate were brutally attacked by state forces, leaving many of our young people dead, injured, and traumatised,” the group said.
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