He had expected a peaceful protest, one where the Nigerian government would address the concerns of police brutality. But there he was, at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, dodging bullets as the Nigerian army fired live rounds at unarmed protesters during the #ENDSARS demonstrations.
“We sat there with the Nigerian flag, reciting the national anthem. Around 6 p.m., the lights at the tollgate went dark. Initially, the army fired shots into the air, but then they began aiming directly at us,” recounted Mr Moses.
On the night of 20 October 2020, Mr Moses, a Lagos-based artisan, had joined the #ENDSARS protests alongside hundreds of young Nigerians. The movement had surged in response to bribery, extortion, harassment, and extrajudicial killings by the Nigerian police — particularly by the notorious, now-disbanded unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
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What he hadn’t anticipated was the fierce resistance they’d face. He and numerous other Nigerians encountered brutal force from security agents. At the Lagos tollgate, soldiers killed several protesters and blocked health professionals from attending to the wounded.
“It was scary. Some were shot dead, others injured. I had to run for my life. When the person before me fell, I climbed over him. I had to choose between falling and dying or running for my life,” Kayode recalled.
His experience and those of many others affected by police brutality and the #ENDSARS protests of 2020 are the focus of the newly released documentary, ‘October 2020’. Created by the Tiger Eye Foundation, a media nonprofit championing investigative journalism in Africa, the documentary chronicles the events and aftermath of the 2020 #ENDSARS protests.
It captures the movement’s enduring impact on Nigeria and the wider world three years later, and features activists, experts, and young protesters like Mr Moses, all touched by police brutality and the #ENDSARS movement.
In collaboration with organisations and media outlets such as PREMIUM TIMES, the Tiger Eye Foundation endeavors to capture history with ‘October 2020,’ as well as ensure that the lessons from the #ENDSARS movement pave the way for a more hopeful future for Nigeria.
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