CacheMeOutside
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FIVE YEARS ON FROM LAGOS MASSACRE: VICTIMS STILL WAIT FOR JUSTICE IN NIGERIA'S END SARS PROTESTS
In October 2020, Nigeria's protests against police brutality reached a boiling point when soldiers opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos. Agbeze Ifeanyi Matthew was among thousands of young Nigerians who participated in the nationwide #EndSARS demonstrations, which called for an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad's (SARS) notorious human rights abuses.
The day after the Lekki shooting, Matthew was rushed to hospital with severe injuries, including a bullet that fractured two ribs. He recalled the chaos and fear as protesters were gunned down by soldiers, with many others left injured or killed. The government promised an investigation, but five years later, justice remains elusive.
Nigeria's security forces have shown little accountability for their actions during the protests, according to Anietie Ewang, a Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The country moves on too quickly from events like this, and it reflects the impunity within which Nigeria's security forces operate," she said.
Agbeze Matthew's experience is just one of many across Nigeria. In Ogbomoso, Oyo state, 222km away from Lagos, Jimoh Atanda continues to relive the day his son was shot dead by SARS officers during the protests. Despite attending multiple panels of inquiry and promises of compensation, Atanda says justice has not been served.
The government's handling of the #EndSARS crisis has been marred by inconsistencies and contradictions. In the immediate aftermath of the protests, the government disbanded the SARS unit, but policing has not improved, according to many Nigerians.
Five years on from the Lekki massacre, Matthew is still waiting for justice that seems nowhere in sight. The day after the shooting, he lost his job at a gas company and struggles to make ends meet as he waits for surgery to repair his fractured ribs. Despite the trauma he has endured, he remains hopeful that one day he will receive the justice he deserves.
For Atanda, the pain of losing his son is still palpable, even after five years. The family's burden is only slightly eased when they see Jimoh's child, but the loss is unbearable. "There is nothing the government can do for us that will be equivalent to our dead son," Atanda said.
The #EndSARS protests were a rare moment of unity in Nigeria, where young people from different backgrounds came together to demand better governance and respect for human dignity. However, the experience also left many disillusioned, especially after Agbeze Matthew was shot while waving the Nigerian flag, contrary to popular belief that soldiers respected the country's symbol.
True justice requires legal accountability, prosecuting the perpetrators, institutional reform, and collective truth-telling, according to policy analyst Emoruwa. "Nations that refuse to confront their own violence cannot build credible futures," he said.
As October approaches again, Matthew fears he won't be able to sleep well due to the trauma he endured. He remains hopeful that one day justice will be served, but for now, he waits patiently with his family and fellow protesters who continue to demand accountability from those responsible.
In October 2020, Nigeria's protests against police brutality reached a boiling point when soldiers opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos. Agbeze Ifeanyi Matthew was among thousands of young Nigerians who participated in the nationwide #EndSARS demonstrations, which called for an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad's (SARS) notorious human rights abuses.
The day after the Lekki shooting, Matthew was rushed to hospital with severe injuries, including a bullet that fractured two ribs. He recalled the chaos and fear as protesters were gunned down by soldiers, with many others left injured or killed. The government promised an investigation, but five years later, justice remains elusive.
Nigeria's security forces have shown little accountability for their actions during the protests, according to Anietie Ewang, a Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The country moves on too quickly from events like this, and it reflects the impunity within which Nigeria's security forces operate," she said.
Agbeze Matthew's experience is just one of many across Nigeria. In Ogbomoso, Oyo state, 222km away from Lagos, Jimoh Atanda continues to relive the day his son was shot dead by SARS officers during the protests. Despite attending multiple panels of inquiry and promises of compensation, Atanda says justice has not been served.
The government's handling of the #EndSARS crisis has been marred by inconsistencies and contradictions. In the immediate aftermath of the protests, the government disbanded the SARS unit, but policing has not improved, according to many Nigerians.
Five years on from the Lekki massacre, Matthew is still waiting for justice that seems nowhere in sight. The day after the shooting, he lost his job at a gas company and struggles to make ends meet as he waits for surgery to repair his fractured ribs. Despite the trauma he has endured, he remains hopeful that one day he will receive the justice he deserves.
For Atanda, the pain of losing his son is still palpable, even after five years. The family's burden is only slightly eased when they see Jimoh's child, but the loss is unbearable. "There is nothing the government can do for us that will be equivalent to our dead son," Atanda said.
The #EndSARS protests were a rare moment of unity in Nigeria, where young people from different backgrounds came together to demand better governance and respect for human dignity. However, the experience also left many disillusioned, especially after Agbeze Matthew was shot while waving the Nigerian flag, contrary to popular belief that soldiers respected the country's symbol.
True justice requires legal accountability, prosecuting the perpetrators, institutional reform, and collective truth-telling, according to policy analyst Emoruwa. "Nations that refuse to confront their own violence cannot build credible futures," he said.
As October approaches again, Matthew fears he won't be able to sleep well due to the trauma he endured. He remains hopeful that one day justice will be served, but for now, he waits patiently with his family and fellow protesters who continue to demand accountability from those responsible.
five years on from the Lekki massacre and ppl are still waiting 4 justice 
it's not just about agbeze matthew or jimoh atanda but a whole generation of nigerians who fought 4 their rights and are still suffering 
. policing in nigeria is a joke 
and the gov't needs 2 do better 
. true justice requires accountability, reform, and truth-telling, not just empty promises 
. lets hope agbeze gets the medical attention he needs and some semblance of justice soon 
nigeria needs 2 do some serious soul-searching & take responsibility 4 their security forces actions. the fact that ppl like Agbeze are still struggling 2 get medical treatment 4 their injuries is just heartbreaking 
atanda's pain 4 losing his son is unbearable & it's not fair that justice hasn't been served 
let's hope this Oct marks a change 4 the better.
This is just not right man... 5 years on and no justice? It's like they're just trying to sweep it under the rug 
. The government promised an investigation but what have we seen so far? Nothing but empty promises 
. I'm sure Agbeze Ifeanyi Matthew is still struggling to make ends meet, losing his job and having to wait for surgery on his ribs... that's just heartbreaking 
. And poor Jimoh Atanda, still reliving the pain of losing his son 5 years later... it's like they're playing a cruel game with people's lives 
. Let's keep demanding accountability and truth-telling until this is resolved! 
Nigeria's security forces should b held accountable 4 dey role in de massacre 
De #EndSARS protests were a movement 4 real change but it seems like nothin happened 
Jimoh Atanda's pain will never be forgotten 
Justice won't b served till de government listens 2 de people's voice 
five years is a long time and still no justice for the victims 
. The fact that the security forces have shown little accountability is really concerning 
. I hope Agbeze Matthew gets the surgery he needs soon 
and some peace of mind 
. It's not fair to him and his family that they have to continue fighting for justice year after year 
. The #EndSARS protests were all about demanding respect for human dignity and it's disheartening to see that not much has changed since then 
. I'm hoping that one day justice will be served but until then, let's keep raising our voices in support of the victims 
.
it's time for some real accountability & collective truth-telling 
. It's not just about disbanding SARS or closing some cases, it's about holding people accountable for what happened and making sure it doesn't happen again 
. That was clearly a setup for the massacre. It's time for some truth-telling and institutional reform, you know? Nigeria needs to take responsibility for its actions and make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again 
.
but until that happens, agbeze matthew will keep waitin for justice w/ his family & fellow protesters 
and Nigeria is still dragging its feet on giving the victims justice 
. That's just cruel 
. It feels like we're stuck in this limbo where nothing gets done, and everyone just moves on from events like this too quickly 
.
.
impunity within which security forces operate is a harsh reality here we need true accountability, prosecuting perpetrators, institutional reform, and collective truth-telling 
the government's handling of it has been really disappointing, they just swept it under the rug and haven't done anything substantial about it... i mean, agbeze ifeanyi matthew is still waiting for justice and his life hasn't changed much, he's still struggling to make ends meet 
and jimoh atanda's pain is still so raw, it's like they're just trying to forget what happened but the memories won't go away... anyway, i hope justice finally serves those responsible someday 
