A judicial panel of inquiry has found the Nigerian army killed at least 11 people [8] when soldiers opened fire on unarmed protestors at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos just over a year ago—a politically seismic event [9] that still reverberates. The panel's report, submitted Nov. 15 to the Lagos state government, describes the shootings as a "massacre." The findings cast a shadow over repeated denials by the government and the army that any killings occurred—consistently labelling such reports "fake news [10]."
The sit-in at the Lekki toll gate on Oct. 20, 2020 was one of many across the country [12] against police brutality, which initially focused on the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). But the #EndSARS protests transformed into a much broader social movement demanding political reform. Decentralized, and led by young people, it condemned all political parties equally. The government has continued to hound activists [13], claiming they are "anarchists." Rights groups are demanding [14] President Muhammadu Buhari act on the panel's findings—including a recommendation that compensation be paid to victims and their families.
From The New Humanitarian [15], Nov. 19
See our last report on the Lekki Massacre [16]
