Nigerians have opposed the reopening of Lekki tollgate, Lagos State, where dozens were allegedly massacre last year October during the global demonstrations demanding extensive police reforms
Although the demand began online years back, it largely gained momentum globally after Nigerians took to the street to call for the final scrapping of then Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Despite the announcement that the brutal unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been dissolved, the demonstrations continued citing insincerity on the part of government having made similar pronouncement more than thrice with no further action thereafter.
On October 20, 2020, military personnel swooped on peaceful demonstrators at the Lekki tollgate and opened live rounds on them. The whereabouts of those who participated during the protests remained unknown even as at press time.
Last week, the judicial panel set up to probe the incident voted for the reopening of the tollgate which has remained close after the bloodbath despite not concluding its sitting.
The Lagos panel was divided as five of the nine members of the panel led by Justice Doris Okuwobi (rtd), voted in support of the reopening of the tollgate at the last sitting on Saturday. Irked by that decision, most Nigerians particularly on social media are warming up to protest the resolution.
Trending the hashtag #OccupyLekkiTollGate, they agreed and fixed this coming Saturday, February 13, 2021, to return to the tollgate, demanding that it must remain shut until those responsible for the killings are brought to book.
