By Adegboyega Adeleye
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said no Nigerian should be punished for demanding good governance, as he marked six years since the October 20, 2020, incident at the Lekki Toll Gate.
“Nigeria must become a nation where no citizen is punished for demanding good governance and a better future,” Obi said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday.
Obi described the anniversary as a reminder of the price Nigerian youths paid in their demand for a better country.
“Today, October 20, 2026, marks the sixth anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate shootings, a painful reminder of the price Nigerian youths paid in their demand for a better country.”
He recalled the events of October 20, 2020, saying peaceful protesters faced gunfire and that lives were lost, and many people were injured, leaving questions about justice, accountability and the value placed on human life.
“On that fateful night, peaceful #EndSARS protesters were met with gunfire. Lives were lost, many were injured, and the nation was left with questions about justice, accountability, and the sanctity of human life.”
Calling on Nigerians to remember the victims and resist treating injustice as normal, Obi said: “We must never forget. We must never normalise injustice.”
He also noted that the anniversary reinforced his belief in a “New Nigeria,” describing it as a country where citizens are protected, young people are heard, and those in government exercise power responsibly and respect human rights.
“As we remember the victims, I reaffirm my belief that a New Nigeria is possible—a country where citizens are protected, not brutalised; where young people are heard, not silenced; and where government power is exercised with responsibility and respect for human rights.”
Obi added that the victims’ sacrifice should strengthen efforts to ensure the incident is not repeated while praying for those who died.
“May the souls of the departed continue to rest in peace. May their sacrifice strengthen our resolve to build a Nigeria where this tragedy will never be repeated.”
He ended the statement by reiterating his vision of a country where every life matters.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s 2021 report found that Nigerian Army officers shot, injured and killed unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, and said the manner of assault and killing could be described as a massacre in context. Vanguard reported that the panel identified at least 48 protesters who were shot, injured or assaulted.
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