Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has renewed calls for accountability over the October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate shooting, questioning why Nigerians have yet to receive satisfactory answers about the military operation against #EndSARS protesters six years after the incident.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, made the remarks on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in a statement commemorating the sixth anniversary of the protests against police brutality. He also criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government over rising living costs, petrol prices and what he described as diminishing economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
The former vice president argued that the passage of six years had not resolved fundamental questions surrounding the deployment of soldiers to the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, where protesters had gathered to demand police reform and an end to abuses by security personnel.
“Six years after the Lekki shooting, Nigeria is still waiting for a clear answer to one devastating question: Who gave the order?” Atiku asked.
He maintained that the families of those affected by the incident deserved a full account of what happened and who authorised the military intervention.
The #EndSARS protests began in October 2020 following widespread allegations of harassment, extortion, unlawful detention and brutality involving officers of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
What initially began as demonstrations against police misconduct developed into nationwide protests demanding accountability, institutional reforms and improvements in governance.
On the evening of October 20, 2020, soldiers arrived at the Lekki Toll Gate, where protesters had assembled. The military intervention resulted in reports of shootings, injuries and deaths, triggering national and international condemnation.
The Lagos State Government subsequently established a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate allegations of police brutality and the events surrounding the Lekki incident.
In its November 2021 report, the panel concluded that protesters had been shot, injured and killed during the military operation. However, the Lagos State Government rejected aspects of the panel's findings, while the Nigerian Army disputed important elements of the allegations, including accounts of casualties.
The conflicting official positions have remained central to public debate about accountability for the incident.
In his anniversary statement, Atiku criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's comments following the 2020 shooting, arguing that the remarks appeared to question the protesters rather than demand answers about the use of force.
Tinubu, who was not Nigeria's president at the time, had publicly questioned the circumstances surrounding the presence and conduct of some individuals involved in the incident.
Atiku said those remarks were inappropriate in the context of public concern about casualties and the treatment of demonstrators.
He further accused the APC of failing to provide adequate answers during the six years since the shooting, noting that the party had remained in control of the Federal Government throughout that period.
“The APC has governed Nigeria through these six years. It cannot keep asking Nigerians to remember the dead while refusing to confront the unanswered questions,” he said.
The former vice president argued that the continuing demand for accountability reflected unresolved grief among affected families and declining confidence among young Nigerians who participated in the demonstrations.
According to him, the public response to the anniversary should not be dismissed as an exercise in social media activism because the underlying concerns about justice and accountability remain.
Atiku also connected the legacy of the #EndSARS protests to Nigeria's present economic difficulties, arguing that many of the young people who demanded better governance in 2020 were now struggling with higher living costs and limited economic opportunities.
He cited petrol selling at ₦1,405 per litre as an example of the financial pressure confronting households, although the figure was presented as part of his statement rather than a verified uniform retail price across the country.
The ADC presidential candidate maintained that increases in transportation expenses were affecting workers' ability to afford food, accommodation, education and other essential needs.
He illustrated the problem with an account reportedly shared by one of his aides about a young woman who resigned from her job because her salary could no longer cover her commuting expenses.
“The pay no longer covers transport. Everything in Nigeria just dey increase in price. Feels like I’m working for Bolt guys,” the woman was quoted as saying.
Atiku used the account to argue that employment alone was no longer sufficient to guarantee financial stability for some Nigerians, particularly those whose earnings were being consumed by transportation and other essential expenses.
He accused the APC administration of failing to deliver the economic improvements expected by many citizens, maintaining that higher costs had weakened household purchasing power.
The former vice president also outlined proposals contained in his Economic Recovery Plan, which he said was intended to make essential goods and services more affordable.
His proposals include passing potential savings from domestically refined petroleum products to consumers, increasing local production to create employment, protecting minimum-wage earners and providing additional support for students.
He also advocated reducing government waste as a means of financing economic relief measures rather than introducing additional taxes.
These proposals represent Atiku's stated policy position and have not been implemented as a federal government programme.
The Tinubu administration has defended its broader economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy and changes to foreign exchange management, as measures intended to address longstanding structural problems in the Nigerian economy.
However, the effects of those policies on household expenditure, wages and business costs remain subjects of public and political debate.
Atiku's statement brought together two issues that have featured prominently in Nigeria's national discourse: accountability for the use of force against citizens and the economic conditions confronting young people.
His comments also came as Nigerians gathered to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Lekki shooting.
On Tuesday, police officers fired tear gas to disperse people attending a memorial gathering at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, according to reports by Channels Television.
The gathering had been organised to remember those affected by the 2020 protests and renew demands for justice and police reform.
The incident highlighted the continuing sensitivity surrounding public commemorations of #EndSARS and the unresolved questions about the original military intervention.
For Atiku, the anniversary represents an opportunity to demand both an explanation of the events of October 2020 and government policies capable of improving the economic prospects of Nigerians.
He maintained that commemorative statements alone would not satisfy those seeking accountability, just as political promises would not address the immediate financial difficulties experienced by households.
The former vice president concluded that young Nigerians deserved transparent answers about the Lekki shooting, protection of their fundamental rights and economic conditions in which employment could provide a reasonable standard of living.
His renewed intervention adds to calls for the authorities to clarify responsibility for the events of October 20, 2020, while placing the country's cost-of-living challenges at the centre of the continuing political debate ahead of the 2027 elections.
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