We Were Beaten and Brutalized’: #EndSARS Memorial Protesters Share Harrowing Experiences

#EndSARS protesters recount their ordeal of being beaten and brutalized by police during the memorial protest, raising concerns about ongoing police violence in Nigeria.

Protesters commemorating the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS movement against police brutality and extrajudicial killings at Lekki Toll Gate have alleged that they were brutalized by the police during their memorial march on Sunday.

A small group of protesters assembled at the Lekki Toll Gate—now emblematic of anti-government demonstrations in Lagos State—to commemorate those who lost their lives during the rallies of October 2020, but they encountered strong opposition from the police.

“We are demonstrators who aimed to commemorate the #EndSARS anniversary but were detained by a team of police officers led by the commissioner of police,” one protester stated in a video shared on X by human rights attorney Inibehe Effiong.

I am here speaking to you from a Black Maria, having been brutalized and beaten by the police. A police officer took my glasses off with no provocation.

“Today, we’re questioning when protesting in this country became illegal.”

READ ALSO: #EndSARS Memorial: Police Disperse Protesters, Arrest Several in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command stated that the protesters did not request police clearance and permission before organizing the rally.

According to the constitution, they are required to notify me as the Commissioner of Police about their intentions. They did not write to us; therefore, any such gathering is illegal and will be prevented by the police,” stated State Police Commissioner Olanrewaju Ishola in an interview with Channels Television.

The CP clarified that the police authorities are aware of citizens’ constitutional rights but emphasized that, in exercising these rights, individuals must prioritize abiding by the laws of the land above other considerations.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International, an international human rights organization, has denounced the arrest of protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.

Amnesty International criticized the Nigerian police for their violent actions against individuals gathered at Lekki Toll Gate to pay tribute to those peacefully protesting during the #EndSARS movement against police brutality in October 2020. The organization expressed on X that “the reckless use of tear gas and arrests are unacceptable.”