Six years later, no justice for EndSARS victims – CSO calls out Nigerian govt

Civil Society Organisation, Global Rights has called on the Federal Government to ensure accountability for the killing of protesters during the 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations, six years after the Lekki Toll Gate shooting.

The organisation also urged the government to implement the 2024 judgment of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, provide compensation for victims and their families, and guarantee citizens’ right to peaceful protest.

Executive Director of Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, made the demands in a statement commemorating the sixth anniversary of the incident, lamenting that those responsible for the killings had yet to be held accountable.

Baiyewu said at least 135 protesters were extrajudicially killed across the country during the #EndSARS protests, which demanded an end to police brutality, unlawful arrests, extortion and torture.

She expressed concern that the demands which brought Nigerians to the streets remained largely unmet, while security personnel continued to use excessive force against citizens.

According to the organisation, at least 31 protesters were killed by police during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, while 1,135 protesters, including children as young as 13, were arbitrarily arrested.

Global Rights further disclosed that it had recorded at least 545 extrajudicial killings by security forces nationwide since the 2024 protests, warning that the continued lack of accountability was deepening public distrust in government institutions.

The organisation recalled that the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, in 2021, found the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force complicit in the shooting of unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.

It also noted that the ECOWAS Court of Justice, in 2024, found Nigeria culpable of human rights violations arising from the incident and ordered a fresh investigation, prosecution of those responsible and compensation for victims.

However, Baiyewu said the judgment had not been fully implemented, with those responsible yet to be held accountable.

She called on the Lagos State Government to publicly explain its response to the judicial panel’s recommendations, including measures implemented and outstanding.

Global Rights maintained that government institutions and security personnel must be held accountable for human rights violations.