Sowore Vows to Reopen Lekki Toll Gate Killings Investigation if Elected President

African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has vowed to reopen investigations into the October 2020 Lekki Toll Gate shootings if elected president in 2027, promising to identify and prosecute those found responsible for unlawful killings.

Sowore made the pledge in a statement commemorating six years of the #EndSARS protests, demanding accountability for the shootings that occurred on October 20, 2020, at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.

In his statement, titled “The #EndSARS at Six: Six Years of Blood, Lies and Impunity,” Sowore questioned why those responsible for the shootings had not been brought to justice, asking who ordered the operation and whether anyone had been prosecuted.

He also questioned the roles of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, military officers, police commanders and other security officials in the events surrounding the protest.

Sowore further called for an investigation into allegations concerning the removal of cameras from the Lekki Toll Gate before the shootings, raising questions about the alleged involvement of President Bola Tinubu and members of his family. The claims were raised in his statement and were not independently established by the post.

Reflecting on the protests, Sowore recalled that on October 4, 2020, he had called for a nationwide action against police brutality. The #EndSARS movement subsequently drew thousands of young Nigerians demanding an end to alleged police abuses, including torture, extortion and extrajudicial killings.

The protests gained international attention following the October 20 shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate, where security forces were accused of firing at demonstrators. The incident remains a major point of controversy in Nigeria’s recent history, with calls for accountability continuing years after the event.

Sowore argued that the #EndSARS movement went beyond the demand to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), describing it as a broader challenge to a system he said protects powerful individuals while exposing ordinary citizens to abuse.

He also criticised what he described as the silence surrounding the incident, insisting that Nigerians must continue to demand justice for victims and survivors.

Under his proposed #Sowore2027 administration, he said investigations would be reopened to establish the chain of command, identify those who ordered or carried out unlawful killings, and ensure that anyone found culpable faces prosecution regardless of rank or political connections.

“We will never forget!” Sowore declared, reaffirming his support for victims and survivors of the #EndSARS protests and calling for justice over the Lekki Toll Gate shootings.