October 20, 2020 is a day many Nigerians will find difficult to forget in a jiffy. It was the day the white part of the Nigerian flag, which symbolizes peace and unity, turned red on account of a protester’s blood that strategically watered and painted that portion of the flag. Many youths, that day, tagged the country “a land that devours its children”.
On October 8, same year, thousands of youths had trooped out to peacefully protest against the brutality and extrajudicial killings of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Sqaud (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). The unit of the NPF had been accused of indiscriminately harassing and killing youths, especially in the southern part of the country.
The protest which took place in different cities, allegedly, saw officers of various security agencies manhandling the protesters by firing teargas at close range, making unlawful arrests, using gunfire, water cannons, among others. The officers were possibly trying to control the crowd, as the protesters were never willing to retreat.
On October 20, around 4:00pm the closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) at the Lekki Tollgate were allegedly removed by some unknown officials, who claimed to be working on orders given to them. At 6:50pm, or thereabouts, the men of the Nigerian Army were alleged to have opened fire on the unarmed protesters, who were on their knees waving the Nigerian flag and singing the National anthem.
Different videos of the massacre emerged online that night with different people tagging international organisations to bear witness to how the nation killed its youths. The Lagos state’s governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, when called out at first, denied knowledge of the incident, but later said that only two people were killed during an interview with a CNN journalist.
An Amnesty International’s report claimed that at least twelve (12) people were killed; the Nigerian Army denied knowledge of the incident. The Amnesty International further accused the government of harassing the protesters in many ways. Recently, it reported that after about two years, over 40 of the protesters are still “languishing in jail” without trial. It also accused the government of not ensuring that justice is well served for the victims, covering up the killings and yet to initiate any concrete reform for the police.
An On Air Personality, James Idoko, lamented that despite video evidence, the government insisted there were no killings at the Lekki Tollgate.
“This APC regime is the worst thing that happened to this country. First, they don’t value human lives, they do whatever they want. The way the government is handling the current insecurity has justified that the Lekki massacre was orchestrated. Life means nothing to them. Even when CNN and other foreign media platforms revealed that people were massacred in that incident, these archaic people still insist it never happened. What a government. May the souls of the fallen heroes continue to rest with the Lord.”
Meanwhile, during the protest, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Muhammad Adamu, announced the dissolution of the SARS to be replaced with Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT). However, the manner in which it was done between 13th and 14th October raised suspicions among the protesters, such that they continued requesting for dissolution of the SWAT too.
A witness to the Lekki massacre and disk jockey, Obianuju Catherine Udeh, popularly known as DJ Switch, recorded the incident via her Instragram live, for Nigerians to see and repost as well as tag relevant authorities.
By the order of military hierarchy “the soldiers invaded the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020, shot, injured and killed unarmed, helpless and defenceless protesters, without provocation or justification, while they were waving the Nigerian Flag and singing the National Anthem, thereby committing a massacre,” the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution set up by the Lagos state’s government found.
According to Cable News Network (CNN) the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution at the Lagos Court of Arbitration in their investigation which took over a year found that the Nigerian Army indeed opened fire on the unharmed protesters.
 It said: The panel accuses Nigerian Army officers of having shot, injured and killed unarmed helpless and defenseless protesters, without provocation or justification, while they were waving the Nigerian Flag and singing the national anthem and the manner of assault and killing could in context be described as a massacre.
“The conduct of the Nigerian Army was exacerbated by its refusal to allow ambulances render medical assistance to victims who required such assistance. The Army was also found not to have adhered to its own Rules of Engagement.”
The commission also accused the Lekki Concession Company of manipulating the CCTV. It further accused the Police of further shooting at fleeing protesters after the onslaught of the Army, claiming that 24 were injured and 15 assaulted. The commission was headed by former Lagos State High Court, Justice Doris OKuwobi. It also alleged that 96 corpses were discovered across states, following the massacre.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a statement had said that the findings of the commission would help in proper restitution and compensation for everyone who must have been wronged. He promised to set up a committee that would review the findings and issue a white paper within two weeks, after the publication of the commission’s finding in November 2021. He did so eventually. However, nothing has been done so far.