Waiting For Accountability: Five Years After Lekki, Justice Still Elusive
Five years after the tragic events of October 20, 2020, when Nigerian security forces reportedly opened fire on peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, justice remains a distant dream.
The wounds of that night, when demonstrators waving the national flag and singing the anthem were met with bullets, continue to fester in the nation’s collective memory.
Despite multiple judicial panels of inquiry and public outcry, no one has been held accountable for the killings.
The findings of investigative panels remain largely ignored, and the sweeping police reforms demanded by citizens remain unimplemented.
Instead, civic freedoms appear to be shrinking, with authorities increasingly clamping down on dissent through the misuse of laws such as the Cybercrime Act.
Global Rights, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Abiodun Baiyewu, described the lack of accountability as a deep scar on Nigeria’s democracy.
The organisation lamented that the government had failed to deliver justice for victims, compensate affected families, or reform the policing system that triggered the nationwide protests.
Baiyewu warned that the events of 20.10.20 and the more recent #EndBadGovernance protests in 2024, where over 30 citizens reportedly lost their lives, expose Nigeria’s fragile democracy and culture of impunity.
“No government enjoys criticism,” she said, “but strong democracies use it as feedback. Nigeria must learn to listen to its citizens, not muzzle them.”
Global Rights reiterated four key demands: accountability for the Lekki shootings, comprehensive policing reform, respect for citizens’ rights, and protection of civic freedoms.
As the world watches Nigeria’s democratic journey, the call for justice grows louder, until something is done.
For many families, the pain of Lekki is not just a memory, it is a continuing reminder that until justice is served, democracy itself remains on trial.
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