The Nigerian government has urged activists to cancel plans for a Saturday protest in Lagos. The protests were to be staged over the reopening of the site where, in October 2020, demonstrators were shott, allegedly by soldiers, at a toll gate in Lekki district, Lagos. Protestors were killed in another district as well.

Both the military and police have denied involvement, but a judicial commission in Lagos is investigating the allegations that the army and police opened fire on protesters. Channel Africa reports that the protests had been peaceful up until then.

According to Channel Africa, the incident arguably triggered the worst civil unrest since the country’s return to civilian rule in 1999.

Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Information Minister, expressed concerns that the protest risked being “hijacked by hoodlums”.

Umm Muhammed Umar