Five Nigerians Recall the Night of the Lekki Tollgate Shooting

On October 20, 2020, Lagos announced a sudden curfew as EndSARS protesters remained at the Lekki Tollgate. Protesters had gathered to demand an end to police brutality and the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. As darkness fell, gunfire and panic at the tollgate were streamed live to audiences in Nigeria and abroad. Six years later, five Nigerians recall how the night affected them. One respondent remembers being ordered to lie flat in a hostel after gunshots rang out. Another hid in a kitchen pantry with her frightened children. A former protester watched the livestream from home, while a student in the UK feared that her brother at the protest had been killed. For those interviewed, the events of that night remain deeply personal. Some describe fear, grief and a lasting loss of trust in the country, while others say the experience influenced their decision to leave Nigeria.

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