2020 Lekki shooting

On the night of 20 October 2020, at approximately 6:50 p.m., members of the Nigerian Army opened fire on unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll gate (Admiralty Circle Plaza) in Lagos State, Nigeria. The protesters were part of the broader #EndSARS movement, which had grown throughout 2020 to demand the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and broader police reform. Amnesty International stated that at least 12 protesters were killed in what it described as "extrajudicial executions." Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu initially denied any loss of life on 21 October, but later told a CNN journalist that "only two persons were killed."

In the lead-up to the shooting, witnesses reported that CCTV cameras and lighting at the toll gate were disabled, and telecommunications outages affected the area, though the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria attributed the outages to fiber cable damage. Protesters reportedly sang the national anthem and waved Nigerian flags in an attempt to demonstrate peaceful intent shortly before soldiers opened fire. DJ Switch, a disc jockey, live-streamed part of the incident on Instagram, later stating she witnessed the shooting of at least seven people and that the toll subsequently rose to fifteen based on further accounts, though she could not continue recording. SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based risk advisory firm, estimated at least 46 deaths across Nigeria on the day of the shooting.

The Nigerian Army initially denied involvement, calling media reports "fake news," but on 21 November 2020 admitted it had deployed personnel to the toll gate with both live and blank ammunition, following the Lagos state governor's request. A Judicial Panel of Inquiry, chaired by retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, was established on 26 October 2020 to investigate the events. A forensic analysis commissioned by the panel concluded that soldiers continued firing at protesters as they fled, and the panel found that nine people were killed, though the Nigerian government rejected the findings. Testimony from Brigadier Ahmed Taiwo indicated the Army had been called in by Governor Sanwo-Olu after police reported being "overrun."

CNN aired an investigative documentary on 18 November 2020 presenting geolocated evidence and eyewitness accounts, and later obtained CCTV footage showing soldiers firing from both ends of the toll gate before the footage was cut around 8 p.m. International reactions included statements from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Secretary-General, and the African Union condemning the use of force. On 23 July 2023, Governor Sanwo-Olu approved a mass burial of 103 protesters who died during the broader #EndSARS unrest. On 10 July 2024, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled that the Nigerian government was responsible for human rights abuses connected to the shooting and ordered compensation to named victims.