…Organisers say nothing has changed
…Protesters may have died in vain
In the last six years, October 20th has been a day the families of those who lost their lives during the #EndSARS protest of 2020, are reminded of man’s inhumanity to man.
One of the hardest hits in the protest is the mother of Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year-old journalist with Gboah TV, who died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen while covering the #EndSARS protest in Lagos.
Till date, the mother is seeking justice for her late son, so also the families of other victims.
Looking back, many think that nothing has changed since then as the demands of the protesters have not been met.
From accountability, justice, and comprehensive police reform, the demands have remained largely unfulfilled today, as police harassment and extrajudicial actions persist.
Also, considering the harsh manner in which the police dispersed those commemorating the sad event at Lekki Toll Gate on October 20th, Abike Lawal of Enough Is Enough (EIE), the organiser of the peaceful commemoration, decried that police reform is far from reality, but that Nigerians will keep pressing until change comes.
“It is very unreasonable for the police to intimidate and fire tear gas at peaceful attendees gathering to honor the victims of the #EndSARS. The same brutality we want them to stop is what they are even taking to another level in an open space,” Lawal said.
Olamide Saidi, an activist and member of the civil society organisation, noted that the dispersing of peaceful attendees by the police was directed by superior authorities, who he described as the main challenge to implementing reforms and addressing other demands made by the protesters six years ago.
“The authorities do not want reform because it will not favour them. They always want police or security agencies they can easily use to carry out their dirty deals, especially during elections,” he said.
The activist expressed displeasure over the continued brutality and harassment by the police six years after the #EndSARS protest, saying that victims of the protest cannot die in vain.
Saidi argued that the presence of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate and Funso Doherty, the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate, at the peaceful commemoration does not make it political campaign, which the police said was part of the reasons for dispersing the attendees at Lekki Toll Gate.
“We are in campaign season, if the APC thinks that other parties used the #EndSARS commemoration at Lekki Toll Gate for campaign, they can do the same. The police action on October 20, 2026 was endorsed by the government and sadly a sign that police intimidation and harassment are far from being over,” he said.
Martin Oyedeji, CEO, Baron Properties, noted that since the protest, the Lekki toll gate has not been tolled. “It is a physical reminder of an unresolved chapter that demands sustained institutional accountability and police reform as non-negotiable prerequisites for long-term commercial stability,” he said.
He called for commitment to address the brutality issue as foreign investors and corporate decision-makers consider Nigeria’s risk profile, which remains heavily defined by the lingering governance challenges.
For Aniete Udom, team lead of an Abuja-based civil society organisation, nothing has changed after six years of the protest apart from the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
“We have eyes on security agencies, especially police. The systemic extortion, harassment, and brutality have continued with little institutional prosecution of security personnel. The rot in the system is unbelievable,” Udom said.
Udom recalled that in 2022 there was public outcry in Apata, Oyo State, over the killing of a man by the police extorting N700,000.
“They dubbed him a fraudster. But that was not enough to take his life. Nothing has happened since then, no naming of the officers involved and no prosecution. So, nothing has changed six years after the protest,” Udom said.
In March 2024, Jerry Maxwell, a Lagos car dealer was forced to pay 250,000 to police who threatened to brand him a kidnapper.
The car dealer was forced to pay because of the lonely place he was taken to and also the boldness of the officers.
He also recalled how police used his car to block a Mercedes SUV at Apo, Abuja.
“I watched as they commanded all the occupants out and they were all young. Negotiation started, I wanted to see the end, but couldn’t wait. Definitely, those guys were extorted by the police that day,” he said.
According to Udom, there are many daily cases of police brutality and harassment that point to the fact that there is no respite yet for the citizens.
But Onome Olayemi, a Benin City-based designer, noted that police harassment has reduced a bit.
While the marginal relief is commendable, Olayemi called on the government to ensure reforms that will address structural vulnerabilities and ensure lasting safety for the citizens.
Chijioke Umelahi, an Abuja-based lawyer, countered Olayemi saying that the situation is worse now.
“When police are not harassing, they are extorting. When you see them talk to people in a lower voice, they are negotiating extortion money,” Umelahi said.
According to him, the above tactics are what they use for Yahoo Boys. “Instead of intimidating Yahoo Boys, they peacefully demand for their share and the boys pay. But if they boys refuse to pay, then intimidation and harassment will set in”.
He regretted that police settlement entitlement is the reason insecurity is escalating today because those carrying deadly weapons will easily pass through checkpoints if they play their game well.
“I don’t see brutality and harassment declining. Where they do, it means money is involved. It is only money that will make the police reconsider the intimidation of people,” he said.
But Bem Hembafan, a retired security officer, thinks that the situation has remained the same because of no consequence for the actions of the officers.
“Till date, the killers of the protesters at Lekki Toll Gate are still prosecuted. That is why the police were bold to disperse people who came to mark the commemoration this year. If our officers are disciplined, sacked or imprisoned in the worst cases, others will not be quick at releasing the trigger,” he said.
According to him, it may take time to implement any reform, but it will not take time to enforce discipline among the ranks and ensure consequence for any action.
While the anticipated result has not been achieved six years after, the likes of Enough Is Enough and civil society organisations are calling for continued pressure on the government for reforms across the security agencies to give their operations the needed human face.
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