Nigerians have questioned the government’s sincerity toward its citizens as the EndSARS nationwide protest that resulted in the deaths of numerous Nigerian youths approaches its second anniversary. They have also vowed that the gruesome incident will influence the results of the 2023 general elections.
In fact, the majority of Nigerians believe that those in positions of power do not care (in any manner) about the lives of common residents. They think that politicians simply care about retaining their positions of power and that they utilise the electorate to advance their own interests.
During this time in 2020, Nigerians—mostly young people—took to the streets to expose the brutality, intimidation, and highhandedness of the police toward defenceless individuals. They especially urged a ban on the Nigerian Police’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS.
Thugs hijacked the protest, which had begun peacefully and calmly across the nation, and started destroying government buildings and hurting the people.
When soldiers from the Nigerian Army arrived in trucks and allegedly opened fire on the nonviolent protestors, the situation reached its peak.
According to a judicial panel of inquiry appointed by the State government, “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,” committing a massacre.
According to the panel, Nigerian Police Force personnel stationed at the toll gate the night of the incident “shot at, assaulted and battered unarmed protestors, which led to injuries and deaths,” assisting the army in carrying out a massacre of unarmed civilians.
The panel’s conclusions, which were made public in 2021, put an end to the Army’s, Nigeria’s, and Lagos State’s continuous denials that the soldiers of the 65 Battalion of the 81 Garrison Division, Bonny Camp, under the command of lieutenant colonel Sanusi Ovada Bello, committed a massacre.
The panel submitted two reports: one on the investigation into the Lekki incident and the other on incidences of police abuse.
The panel’s report was rejected by the Federal Government due to inconsistencies, which sparked controversy about this.
Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, had insisted that no lives were lost during the Lekki tollgate gate incident while simultaneously bringing up unpleasant memories of the incident from not too long ago.
This assertion was made by Oluomo, the chairman of the Lagos Parks and Garages Management, to APC supporters on Sunday during their 5-million-person march in Lagos in support of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s candidacy.
The transport manager said that it was improbable that demonstrators would have been killed, the bodies would not have been discovered, and the relatives of the deceased would not have come forward to ask for their loved ones.
Nigerians have expressed concerns about the government’s lack of sincerity to the public on the streets of Abuja as celebrities and organisers of the 2020 EndSARS protest wrapped up plans to host a memorial in the Lekki district of Lagos State on Thursday.
The march is being held to remember the lives lost by Nigerian citizens, mainly young people, who were reportedly massacred at the Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020.
Lekki Massacre: What would happen if you let Tinubu become president? – HURIWA to youths
Bundesaan Terdue, a security expert located in Lagos who has followed the EndSARS event from the start, said in an interview with PulseNets: “It is unfortunate that no one takes responsibility for a disaster such as this. This is over two years after innocent citizens were killed no one whether in the army or in government have been made to pay.
“This government has been insincere. The people who were massacred, I say may their souls continue to rest in peace. They died for a good course. What else can we say? The government denied these people ever existed but their blood will continue to cry. It happened before our very eyes and CNN and international organisations saw it. They reported it and Twitter was banned for it. That is the government we’re in. The panel’s report was thrown aside and trampled upon and all the huge resources used for investigations became total waste. But let me tell you something, at the appointed time, the truth on what happened at Lekki Tollgate will surface.”
In response to a question about whether the government would provide security for the memorial for the victims, he remarked, “it is an unpredictable situation. My advice to the youths is they should make up their minds to change this set of politicians . They’re free to gather and hold a memorial service for their compatriots who died fighting for better country and a responsible government should provide security for the peaceful walk. But you never know.”
Eleveke James, a clothes trader at AMAC Market, said, “There is no atom of sincerity from the government regarding this EndSARS matter. First they denied that no one died. Can you remember when Babajide Fashola went to the scene of the event and took possession of a camera? Please what was the content of the camera? That’s what I’m saying. They set up a panel which exposed them and they thrashed the report. There is no sincerity. They have been lying to Nigerians.”
He continued, “I don’t think the youths will forget that soon,” When asked if the EndSARS tragedy will effect the 2023 election. “It would continue to be fresh in their minds. Recall how the Labour Party’s inclusion of General Enenche on its campaign council sparked an uproar on social media. I’ll tell you right now that the EndSARS protest will influence the 2023 election.”
Teniola Olu, an entrepreneur by profession, stated: “We’ll keep remembering those innocent protesters in Lagos. I was among those that protested in Abuja here. At a point the government introduced their thugs and some of us went indoors.
“This particular government has never been sincere to the citizens. You said no one died but your panel of investigation said otherwise. Instead of adhering to the report, what you did was threw it away. Now, I’m telling the youths, don’t let these politicians buy your conscience in 2023. The only way we can immortalise those killed at Lekki Tollgate is to vote in the right people to bring about the desired change.”
“As we remember those fellow patriotic citizens killed by those who were supposed to be providing security for them, we’ll never forget. We knew how it all played out. 2023 is the moment for the youths to come together and speak in one voice,” Tessy Uche, a resident of Utako said.
