Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, has condemned the Nigeria police for the arrest of protesters commemorating the fourth anniversary of the 2020 Lekki Tollgate incident.
The #EndSARS protests, which happened on October 20 2020, were led by Nigerian youth to demand an end to police brutality by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), of the Nigeria police.
The protests however continued for days, which led the Lagos State government, under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to declare a curfew and deploy security operatives to ensure compliance.
Soldiers deployed to the toll gate had reportedly opened fire on demonstrators at the Lekki Tollgate, with several deaths reported by witnesses.
The government denied reports of killings during the incident.
On Sunday morning, dozens of protesters assembled at the tollgate, holding placards to honour those who lost their lives.
However, in response to the gathering, the Nigeria police force reportedly used teargas and gunshots to disperse the crowd, and also arrested several protesters.
While reacting to the arrest via its X handle (formerly Twitter), Amnesty International condemned the actions of the police, and called for the immediate release of the arrested protesters.
The organisation also demanded an end to the use of force against peaceful demonstrations.
“Amnesty International condemns the Nigeria police for the violent attack on people who assembled at Lekki Toll Gate to honour peaceful protesters killed during the #EndSARS protests against police brutality in Oct. 2020. The reckless use of tear gas and arrests are unacceptable.
“Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Hassan Soweto and 17 activists arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate today while holding a memorial for victims of #EndSARS protests. During the arrest, they were also subjected to horrific atrocities.
“President Bola Tinubu’s government must stop using security personnel to deprive people of the right to peaceful protest and pay attention to the real grievances that triggered the protests,” it said.