October 20th lands differently in Nigeria. Six years after the Lekki toll gate shootings, the date carries a weight that no official statement has managed to lift. What began as a youth-led uprising against police brutality under the Special Anti-Robbery Squad grew into one of the most significant protest movements in the country's recent history, and the organisers say the promises made in its wake have come to nothing.
The grievances that pushed millions of Nigerians into the streets in October 2020 remain largely unaddressed. SARS was officially disbanded, but many activists argue that the same officers simply moved into other units and continued business as usual. For the families of those who lost loved ones during the protests, the pain is compounded by a justice system that has delivered very little accountability.
Six years on, the organisers who coordinated the movement are direct about where things stand: nothing has changed. That verdict is hard to argue with when you look at the ongoing reports of police harassment and extrajudicial conduct across Nigerian cities. The structural reforms that protesters demanded have not materialised in any meaningful way.
What makes October 20th particularly haunting is the question it leaves open. Were the sacrifices made during those weeks, by young people who marched, were injured, or never came home, worth anything at all? That question has no comfortable answer yet, and until it does, Nigeria's youth will keep carrying it forward.
Originally published by BusinessDay.