Sowore Vows To Fish Out Those Behind Lekki Toll Gate Killings If Elected President
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2027 election, Omoyele Sowore, has vowed to reopen investigations into the October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate killings if elected president.
Sowore said his administration would identify everyone involved in the shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters in Lagos and ensure that those found culpable face justice, irrespective of their positions or political connections.
He made the pledge in a statement issued on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the incident, which occurred during nationwide protests against police brutality and extrajudicial killings.
The activist also questioned why those responsible for the killings had not been prosecuted six years after the incident.
He asked Nigerians to demand accountability from political leaders, military commanders and police officers allegedly involved in the operation.
“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?” he asked.
Sowore questioned why there had been no renewed public demand for the arrest and prosecution of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and the military and police commanders allegedly involved in the operation.
He also called for a full investigation into the alleged removal of surveillance cameras at the toll gate before the shooting, raising questions about the roles of President Bola Tinubu and members of his family in the incident.
The activist insisted that the events of October 20, 2020, should not be forgotten, arguing that the #EndSARS movement went beyond the demand to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
“#EndSARS was never merely about disbanding #SARS. It was a revolt against a system that brutalizes the poor, shields the powerful, and treats Nigerian lives as disposable,” he said.
Sowore further vowed that his proposed administration would investigate the full chain of command behind the killings and establish who ordered, authorised and carried out unlawful shootings.
“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,” he said.
A panel of inquiry established by the Lagos State Government had earlier found the Nigerian military culpable in the shooting of unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.
The panel’s report, which was leaked shortly after its submission to the state government, documented 48 casualties, including 11 people killed and four missing, during the incident it described as a massacre.
According to the report, soldiers shot and killed unarmed protesters who were waving Nigerian flags and singing the national anthem.
The panel said the military failed to comply with its rules of engagement and criticised the soldiers for allegedly preventing ambulances from providing medical assistance to injured protesters.
“At the Lekki Toll Gate, officers of the Nigerian Army 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,” the report stated.
It added that “the manner of assault and killing could in context be described as a massacre”.
The report also raised concerns about the handling of evidence at the scene following the shooting.
It stated that there was evidence that three Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) trucks equipped with brushes were brought to the toll gate the following morning to clean bloodstains and other evidence.
The panel further alleged that police officers attempted to cover up their actions by picking up bullets at the scene.
Politics Nigeria reports that the Lekki incident occurred during the nationwide #EndSARS protests, which erupted after years of complaints by young Nigerians over alleged torture, extortion, harassment and extrajudicial killings by SARS operatives.
On October 20, 2020, soldiers were deployed to the toll gate, where protesters had gathered despite a curfew imposed in Lagos State government.
The shootings triggered widespread outrage in Nigeria and internationally, with demands for accountability and justice for victims and survivors.
Six years after the incident, Sowore has renewed his call for those responsible to be identified and prosecuted, insisting that the victims and their families deserve justice.
“We remember the fallen. We stand with the survivors,” he said.
