By Kazeem Waris
Six years after the #EndSARS protests were violently suppressed, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has demanded an unreserved public apology from the Federal and Lagos State Governments, prosecution of culpable security personnel and comprehensive compensation for victims.
The civil society organisation also called for the formal acknowledgement of killings, injuries and other alleged abuses recorded during the nationwide demonstrations against police brutality in October 2020, insisting that the government must end years of denial and deliver justice to victims and their families.
In a press statement marking the sixth anniversary of the October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate shootings, CAPPA urged political parties and aspirants contesting the 2027 general elections to make justice for #EndSARS victims, reparations and fundamental police reforms central to their campaign commitments.
The organisation said the government must confront the legacy of the protests through independent criminal investigations, prosecution of implicated officers, payment of outstanding compensation and sustained medical and psychological support for survivors.
Zikora Ibeh, CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, said the tragedy of #EndSARS was that a movement against police brutality was met with the very violence it sought to end.
She argued that an official apology would mean little without an admission of responsibility and concrete steps to hold those responsible accountable.
A peaceful protest against police brutality was answered with bullets, she said, while the state compounded the violence by disputing the suffering of victims.
According to Ibeh, an unreserved apology must begin with government accepting responsibility, acknowledging the wrongs committed and ensuring that those responsible face justice.
Judicial panel, ECOWAS ruling
CAPPA cited the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s 309-page report, which characterised the Lekki incident as a “massacre in context” and implicated the Nigerian Army and police in the deaths and severe injuries of peaceful demonstrators.
The organisation criticised the Federal Government for dismissing the panel’s findings and faulted the Lagos State Government’s White Paper for disputing casualty records.
It said the official response had deepened the grievances of victims and survivors rather than resolving the questions surrounding the incident.
CAPPA also pointed to the July 2024 judgment of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, which found Nigeria liable for violating protesters’ fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, assembly and association, as well as freedom from torture.
The regional court ordered compensation for victims and fresh, independent investigations, according to the organisation.
CAPPA called for the full implementation of the judgment and the publication of a transparent report detailing the government’s compliance.
It maintained that justice could not be achieved through official statements alone, arguing that victims deserved compensation, access to justice and assurances that similar abuses would not recur.
Journalist’s death raises fresh questions
The organisation also renewed its demand for justice over the death of 20-year-old journalist Pelumi Onifade, whose post-mortem findings it said had only been formally presented before a coroner’s court in 2026, despite being documented in 2020.
Onifade was reportedly attacked and arrested by personnel of the Lagos State Task Force on October 24, 2020, while covering protest-related events at the Ministry of Agriculture Abattoir complex in Oko-Oba, Agege.
CAPPA said that four days earlier, on October 20, Onifade had filmed political figure Abiodun Bolarinwa firing live rounds at unarmed #EndSARS protesters in the Abule Egba area of Lagos.
According to the organisation, the official autopsy established that the journalist died from a fatal gunshot wound to his lower torso.
CAPPA demanded conclusive criminal proceedings and the prosecution of Task Force personnel and commanding officers found responsible for his death.
It said the case underscored the need for transparent investigations into alleged abuses against protesters and journalists, warning that delayed justice could further undermine public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
The organisation added that its investigative publication, Lies and the Hail of Bullets: #EndSARS—The Story of Lekki Shootings by Survivors, documented the experiences of people affected by the crackdown.
Beyond disputes over casualty figures, CAPPA said survivors continued to endure physical injuries, emotional trauma, lost livelihoods and family hardship, often without adequate state support.
It also expressed concern that prolonged official denial and alleged intimidation had left some participants fearful, in hiding or living in self-exile.
#EndBadGovernance, police brutality
CAPPA argued that the circumstances that triggered #EndSARS had not been adequately addressed, pointing to subsequent protests as evidence of continuing tensions between citizens and security agencies.
It cited the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, during which Nigerians, including minors, demonstrated against economic hardship and governance failures.
The organisation said security forces responded with tear gas, arrests and lethal force, with at least 24 deaths documented across the country.
Ibeh warned that when government policies deepen hardship and security personnel attack citizens who protest, people are denied both the means to secure a decent life and the freedom to demand one.
She maintained that peaceful protest and free speech were essential democratic rights, adding that no government could claim democratic legitimacy by frightening citizens into silence.
CAPPA also cited alleged abuses at Tiger Base, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command in Owerri, including torture, extrajudicial killings, extortion and prolonged arbitrary detention.
It said the allegations reflected the need for comprehensive police reforms and stronger accountability mechanisms across the country.
CAPPA opposes state police without safeguards
On proposals to establish state police in response to insecurity, the organisation warned that decentralising policing without addressing impunity could worsen abuses rather than protect citizens.
It argued that meaningful reform required political commitment to changing the culture within law enforcement, regulating the use of force and ensuring swift criminal consequences for officers who violate the law.
CAPPA called for mandatory deployment of body-worn cameras for frontline police personnel, with secure storage systems and independent supervision of recordings.
It also demanded access to footage for lawful investigations and penalties for officers who deliberately deactivate cameras or tamper with recordings.
The organisation further urged authorities to investigate allegations of misconduct promptly and transparently, with disciplinary measures and criminal prosecution where warranted.
Families demand reparations, memorial
As part of its proposed response to the legacy of #EndSARS, CAPPA called for a transparent national programme of acknowledgement, justice and reparations, developed in consultation with victims’ families, survivors, civil society organisations, human rights and media-rights groups, and the National Human Rights Commission.
The proposed programme, it said, should include prosecution of implicated officers, payment of outstanding compensation and sustained medical and psychological rehabilitation for survivors.
It also urged the government to drop outstanding charges against people prosecuted solely for participating in peaceful protests, including the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.
In addition, CAPPA called for the formal designation of the Lekki Toll Gate as a national historic memorial site to preserve the memory of the victims and the events of October 20, 2020.
The organisation said the sixth anniversary should serve as a reminder that accountability for police brutality must go beyond commemorations and promises.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, it urged political parties and candidates to commit themselves to reforms that protect civil liberties, strengthen public oversight of security agencies and prevent a recurrence of the violence associated with the #EndSARS protests.
CAPPA’s position is that justice for victims, compensation for survivors and enforceable safeguards against police abuse must become central to Nigeria’s democratic accountability agenda.
