On the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, rights organisation Global Rights has renewed its call for accountability and justice, especially regarding the shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.
In a statement, Abiodun Baiyewu, Executive Director of Global Rights, lamented that despite multiple judicial panels set up across various states to investigate, very little has been implemented — no high-ranking figure has been prosecuted, no substantial reparations made, and many recommendations remain ignored.
Baiyewu insisted the wounds of that night remain fresh for families of victims, many of whom remain unacknowledged, uncompensated, and without closure. He warned that Nigeria’s democracy is increasingly “on tenterhooks” as trust between citizens and authorities continues to erode.
The statement revisited the five demands of the #EndSARS movement — justice for victims, compensation for families, oversight of police conduct, reforms of policing structures, and better welfare for officers — highlighting that most remain unmet even years later.
Global Rights urged the federal and state governments to:
- Identify, arrest, and prosecute those responsible for the shootings and cover-ups
- Fully implement the recommendations of the judicial panels
- Train law enforcement in rights-centered protest management
- Halt misuse of laws (e.g. Cybercrime Act) to intimidate dissenters
