Two years after, Nigerians mourn victims of Lekki massacre, take decision on 2023 elections

By Adeleye Kunle

Exactly two years ago (October 20, 2020) the entire country was plunged into mourning following shootings in the Lekki Tollgate allegedly carried out by the Nigerian Army to stop the youths protesting against police brutality.

Recall that Nigerian youths across the country had in October 2020, staged nationwide protest over extrajudicial killings by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

At about 6:50 p.m on October 20, 2020, officers of the Nigerian Army allegedly opened fire on unarmed protesters who converged at the Lekki Tollgate, leading to the death of several unsuspecting citizens.

Track News recalls that a report by Amnesty International stated after the incident that at least 12 protesters were killed by the Nigerian military.

A day after the incident, on 21 October, the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu, initially denied reports of any loss of lives, but later admitted in an interview with a CNN journalist that “only two persons were killed”.

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government had also claimed that there was no single evidence to prove that any protester was killed at the tollgate