CAPPA demands apology, justice six years after Lekki toll gate shootings

By Onu Okorie

The organisation calls for prosecutions, compensation for victims and comprehensive police reforms, urging political parties to prioritise accountability ahead of the 2027 elections.
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal and Lagos State Governments to tender an unreserved public apology for the October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate shootings and provide justice and compensation for victims of the nationwide #EndSARS protests.
The organisation made the demand on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to mark the sixth anniversary of the shootings, which occurred during demonstrations against police brutality.
CAPPA also called for the official acknowledgement of killings, injuries and other human rights abuses recorded during the protests, insisting that the government must pursue independent investigations, prosecute those responsible and implement comprehensive police reforms.
It further urged political parties and aspirants contesting the 2027 general elections to make justice for #EndSARS victims and police accountability central to their political manifestoes.
The organisation described the tragedy of the protests as a painful contradiction, noting that a movement organised to resist police brutality was met with state violence.
In her remarks, CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, said the government must acknowledge the suffering of victims and accept responsibility for the abuses committed during the crackdown.
She argued that a genuine public apology must go beyond statements of regret to include an admission of wrongdoing, identification of those responsible and concrete steps to deliver justice.
The #EndSARS protests began as a nationwide movement against systemic police brutality, particularly abuses attributed to the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Public outrage intensified on October 3, 2020, following the circulation of a viral video reportedly showing SARS operatives shooting a young man outside Wetland Hotel in Ughelli, Delta State, before driving away in his car.
The incident fuelled demonstrations across the country, with protesters demanding an end to police brutality, accountability for abuses and respect for fundamental human rights.
However, the protests culminated in the October 20 shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, an incident that has remained a subject of public controversy and demands for accountability.
CAPPA said the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, in its 309-page report, characterised the incident as a “massacre in context” and implicated the Nigerian Army and police in the deaths and serious injuries of protesters.
The organisation criticised the Federal Government for dismissing the panel’s findings and the Lagos State Government for issuing a White Paper that disputed aspects of the panel’s conclusions, including its casualty records.
It maintained that the conflicting official positions had deepened public distrust and prolonged the suffering of victims and their families.
CAPPA also cited a July 2024 judgment by the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which found Nigeria liable for violating protesters’ fundamental rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, as well as freedom from torture.
According to the organisation, the regional court ordered financial compensation for victims and fresh, independent investigations.
CAPPA called for the full implementation of the judgment and the publication of a transparent report detailing the government’s compliance with the court’s directives.
CAPPA Demands Justice for Journalist Pelumi Onifade
The organisation also renewed its demand for justice for Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old journalist who died after being arrested while covering protest-related events in Lagos in October 2020.
Onifade was reportedly attacked and arrested by personnel of the Lagos State Task Force on October 24, 2020, while covering events at the Ministry of Agriculture Abattoir complex in Oko-Oba, Agege.
CAPPA said the journalist had filmed political figure Abiodun Bolarinwa allegedly firing live rounds at unarmed #EndSARS demonstrators in the Abule Egba area of Lagos on October 20, four days before his arrest.
The organisation said an official autopsy established that Onifade died from a fatal gunshot wound to his lower torso.
It further alleged that although the medical findings were documented in late 2020, they were not formally presented until proceedings before the coroner’s court in 2026.
CAPPA called for the conclusion of criminal proceedings and the prosecution of the Task Force personnel and commanding officers allegedly responsible for his death.
Survivors Still Bear the Consequences
The organisation said the consequences of the crackdown extended beyond disputes over the number of people killed, with survivors and families continuing to deal with physical injuries, psychological trauma, economic losses and the loss of loved ones.
It cited its investigative publication, Lies and the Hail of Bullets: #EndSARS—The Story of Lekki Shootings by Survivors, as a record of the experiences of protesters and others affected by the violence.
According to CAPPA, prolonged official denial and alleged intimidation have contributed to disillusionment among young Nigerians who participated in the demonstrations, with some reportedly going into hiding or exile.
It added that many survivors continued to struggle with physical and emotional trauma without adequate government support.
The organisation warned that the issues that triggered the #EndSARS protests remained unresolved, pointing to subsequent incidents involving security forces and citizens exercising their right to peaceful assembly.
It cited the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, during which Nigerians took to the streets in several states to protest economic hardship and governance failures.
CAPPA said security forces responded with tear gas, arrests and lethal force, with at least 24 deaths documented nationwide during the demonstrations.
Ibeh warned that government policies that deepen economic hardship, combined with the use of force against citizens who protest, undermine people’s ability to demand better living conditions.
She maintained that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly remained essential democratic rights, adding that governments could not build public confidence by intimidating citizens into silence.
Concerns Over Police Abuses and State Police Proposal
CAPPA also raised concerns over alleged abuses at Tiger Base, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command in Owerri.
The organisation cited allegations of torture, extrajudicial killings, extortion and prolonged arbitrary detention as evidence of the persistent challenges confronting police accountability in Nigeria.
It also cautioned against assuming that the proposed establishment of state police would automatically resolve the country’s policing problems.
While acknowledging that the proposals were largely driven by persistent insecurity, CAPPA argued that decentralising policing without addressing impunity could replicate existing abuses at the state level.
The organisation said meaningful reform would require political commitment to redefining the role of law enforcement, regulating the use of force and ensuring swift criminal consequences for officers found guilty of misconduct.
It also called for mandatory body-worn cameras for frontline police personnel, supported by secure storage systems and independent oversight of recordings.
CAPPA said the system should provide access to footage for lawful investigations and impose penalties for deliberate deactivation of cameras or tampering with recordings.
It further demanded prompt, transparent investigations into allegations of security personnel misconduct, with appropriate disciplinary action and criminal prosecution where warranted.
Calls for National Reparations Programme
To address the continuing consequences of the #EndSARS crackdown, CAPPA urged the Federal Government to establish a transparent national programme for acknowledgement, justice and reparations.
It said the programme should be developed in collaboration with victims’ families, survivors, human rights and media-rights groups, civil society organisations and the National Human Rights Commission.
The proposed programme, according to the organisation, should include the prosecution of implicated officers, payment of outstanding compensation and sustained medical and psychological rehabilitation for survivors.
CAPPA also called on the authorities to withdraw outstanding charges against people prosecuted solely for participating in peaceful protests, including the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.
It further urged the government to formally designate the Lekki Toll Gate as a national historic memorial site to preserve the memory of those affected by the shootings.
The organisation maintained that six years after the incident, accountability remained essential not only to address the grievances of victims and their families but also to prevent a recurrence of similar abuses.
It urged the Federal and Lagos State Governments to move beyond official statements and administrative responses by implementing concrete measures to deliver justice, restore public confidence and protect citizens’ constitutional rights.