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Govt beefs up security ahead of #EndSARS memorial protest

Heavily armed security men with armoured vehicles were seen patrolling the Lekki Toll Gate.

• October 12, 2021

Heavily armed security agents were sighted at the Lekki Toll Gate ahead of the planned remembrance for victims of the October 20, 2020 Lekki massacre.

Acting on speculations that plans for a memorial protest may be underway, security agents wielding heavy guns were seen pacing in front of armoured military tanks parked at the Lekki toll gate, Lagos, on Tuesday morning.

In a tweet posted on Tuesday, the #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, dared the Nigeria Police to attempt to quell the memorial protests slated for October 20.

“To @PoliceNG in Lagos & across Nigeria, there will be #EndSARS memorial protests and direct actions on October 20, 2021. Nobody can suppress the will of Nigerians to repudiate the mass atrocities of the @mbuhari regime on that day and beyond. #Revolutionnow #EndSARS #BuhariMustGo,” Mr Sowore tweeted.

Peoples Gazette recalls that in the last quarter of 2020, Nigerian youths embarked on a nationwide protest against police brutality, extortion and extra-judicial killings of the now-defunct police unit Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The peaceful protests, however, came to a halt when on October 20, 2020, soldiers drafted to the toll gate, opened fire on the unarmed protesters.

This year, the Nigeria Police have beefed up security to quash any planned protest in memory of the victims.

Meanwhile, the government continues to contradict itself about its involvement in the massacre and whether or not the military fired live ammunition.

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