Six Years After #EndSARS: Sowore Vows To Reopen Lekki Toll Gate Killings Probe, Prosecute Those Responsible If Elected President | Sahara Reporters

He recalled how Nigerian youths subsequently took to the streets to demand an end to abuses by security operatives but were met with military gunfire at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.

Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, has vowed to reopen investigations into the October 20, 2020 Lekki Toll Gate killings, identify those who ordered and carried out the shootings, and ensure their prosecution if elected president.

Sowore made the pledge on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, as Nigerians marks the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, which erupted nationwide in October 2020 against police brutality, torture, extortion and extrajudicial killings.

In a statement commemorating the anniversary, the activist condemned what he described as six years of bloodshed, lies and impunity, demanding answers over the shooting of peaceful and unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on October 20, 2020.

Titled “The #EndSARS At Six: Six Years Of Blood, Lies And Impunity,” Sowore questioned why those responsible for the killings had not been brought to justice and why victims and survivors were still waiting for accountability.

“Six years later, where are the killers? Who ordered the shootings at #LekkiTollGate? Who has been prosecuted? Why are the victims still waiting for justice?” Sowore asked.

Recalling his role in mobilising Nigerians ahead of the protests, Sowore said he had declared on October 4, 2020, that a massive nationwide action would be organised against the notorious, now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and police brutality.

“On October 4, 2020, I declared: ‘We are going to have a massive nationwide action for #EndSARS. Who is on board?’” he said.

He recalled how Nigerian youths subsequently took to the streets to demand an end to abuses by security operatives but were met with military gunfire at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.

The incident became one of the most controversial episodes of the protests, triggering widespread outrage and calls for an independent investigation into the conduct of security forces.

Sowore questioned why Nigerians were not renewing demands for the arrest and prosecution of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, military officers and police commanders allegedly connected to the operation.

He also demanded an investigation into the alleged removal of surveillance cameras at the Lekki Toll Gate before the shootings, raising questions about the reported involvement of President Bola Tinubu and members of his family.

“Why are we not demanding a full investigation into the role played by @officialABAT and members of his family who reportedly removed the camera from Lekki Toll Gate to prepare the venue for the massacre?” Sowore asked.

Sowore further questioned why officials responsible for security operations under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had not been held accountable.

“Why is everywhere eerily quiet when the bloodshed at Lekki Toll Gate still cries out for justice?” he said.

He warned that politicians who presided over the crackdown might want Nigerians to forget the events, insisting that the victims would not be forgotten.

According to Sowore, the #EndSARS movement went beyond the demand to disband SARS, representing a broader revolt against a system he accused of brutalising poor Nigerians, protecting powerful individuals and treating citizens’ lives as disposable.

“No justice! No closure! No forgiveness for impunity!” he said.

He expressed solidarity with survivors and paid tribute to those who died during the protests, insisting that the demand for accountability must continue six years after the demonstrations.

Sowore also made the Lekki Toll Gate killings a central part of his pledge ahead of the 2027 presidential election, vowing that his administration would reopen investigations into the incident.

He said the proposed investigations would seek to establish the full chain of command, determine who ordered or authorised unlawful killings, identify those who carried them out and prosecute everyone found culpable.

“Under a #Sowore2027 administration, we will reopen the investigations into the Lekki Toll Gate killings, uncover the full chain of command, identify those who ordered, authorized, and carried out unlawful killings, and ensure that everyone found culpable faces justice, regardless of rank, political connections, or position,” Sowore said.

The sixth anniversary has renewed attention to the unresolved questions surrounding the Lekki Toll Gate shootings, the treatment of protesters and the broader demands for police reform and accountability that defined the #EndSARS movement.