Lagos governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, has come under criticism after visiting the Lekki Toll Gate to honour victims of the October 20, 2020 EndSARS shooting.
Rhodes Vivour shared a video showing him at the toll gate as he paid tribute to those who lost their lives during the protest against police brutality.
In his message, the politician remembered the protesters who died and expressed solidarity with families whose lives were permanently affected by the EndSARS movement.
He also questioned the changes that have taken place six years after the incident, asking whether enough has been done to address the problems that triggered the protests in the first place.
According to him, Nigeria must build institutions that genuinely serve the people while ensuring that those in positions of authority exercise their power responsibly.
“Today, we remember the lives lost on 20 October 2020. We mourn them and stand with the families whose lives were forever changed by the struggle against police brutality.
“Six years later, we must ask: what has truly changed?
“From the use of police to disrupt my declaration into the ADC to the poor welfare and housing conditions facing officers, we must confront a system that too often fails both citizens and those entrusted to protect them.
“Police officers deserve dignity and decent working conditions. Citizens deserve protection, accountability and freedom from intimidation. Neither should be sacrificed for political interests.
“We honour the #EndSARS victims by continuing to demand a Lagos and a Nigeria where institutions serve the people, and power is exercised with responsibility.
“May their sacrifice never be in vain.”
However, the tribute did not receive the response he may have expected, as some social media users accused him of turning the remembrance into a political performance.
Several commenters questioned why he was only paying such a public tribute now, particularly with the 2027 elections drawing closer.
One user, Tiwatope, described the gesture as “performative nonsense.”
Another commenter, identified as @iam_omatee, wrote, “All these acts don cast jare.”
A third user, @iam_semileniola, questioned the timing of the tribute, asking, “Did he do this last year? Or a year before?”
Another commenter, @oba_aje_1, also alleged that the gesture was politically motivated, saying the politician did not appear to have shown the same level of remembrance in previous years.
The backlash comes against the background of one of the most controversial episodes in Nigeria’s recent history.
On October 20, 2020, EndSARS protesters gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos as part of nationwide demonstrations against police brutality, particularly the alleged abuses linked to the now disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad.
At about 6:50pm that evening, soldiers arrived at the toll gate and opened fire as protesters remained at the scene. The events that followed became a major national controversy, with conflicting accounts over the number of casualties.
Amnesty International reported that at least 12 protesters were killed during the incident.
The Lagos State Government initially rejected reports that people had been killed at the toll gate. Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu later acknowledged in an interview with a CNN journalist that two people had died.
The Nigerian Army also initially denied that its personnel were responsible for the shooting. It later confirmed that soldiers had been deployed to the Lekki Toll Gate following an order from the Lagos State Government.
The matter became the subject of further investigation after a documentary by Zoyols Blog brought renewed attention to the events surrounding the shooting.
During proceedings before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up to investigate the incident, the Nigerian Army acknowledged that its personnel had been deployed to the toll gate with both live and blank ammunition.
Six years on, the events of October 20, 2020 remain a sensitive subject, with calls for accountability and police reform continuing to feature prominently in public discussions.
