Lekki Tollgate Massacre: 1 year after
First of all, I want to pay my respect to those who lost their lives during the #EndSars protest, particularly those murdered on the night of October 20, 2020. Also, I want to appreciate everyone who has contributed in anyway to the feat of this movement.
I didn’t go out to protest but I did my bits on social media. But this night, one year ago, I cried for Nigeria, first time ever. Didn’t think this government would stoop so low to murdering young peaceful protesters who did nothing wrong but what the constitution allowed them to do: protest.
After the ensuing carnage, I have a grouse with those who kept asking “if you claim people were murdered, where are the bodies? Where are their families?”. It still hurts that many people asked that question and are still asking. And it’s more despicable that those people gave credence to this government, the police and the soldiers alike. It is sad that people believed the government that gave four different stories to just one event. “No soldiers went to Lekki Toll Gate”, later became “Some soldiers went to Lekki Toll Gate”. Then “no bullet was fired” became “they only fired blank shots into the air”. This morphed quickly to “yes, the soldiers had live rounds on them”.
A lot is still shrouded in mystery, but the little glimpse of truths trickling out from the judicial panels and the stories of those that lost their sons and daughters as a result of this killings, the mothers and fathers and siblings that have had to bury their loved ones are enough evidences to validate that what we’ve known to be the truth is actually true.
I’m hopeful and I however believe, that the train of transformation cannot be stopped. We will have good governance in Nigeria, efficient and safe policing, and a just justice system. The wealth of Nigeria will grow exponentially through innovation and technology, and the people will have access to good healthcare, education and live in a safe Nigeria, coast to coast, dry lands to seas. Freedom is not given, it is earned. We hope to earn this liberty through dialogue and unstoppable waves of innovations.
Having written my thoughts this way, I’d like to say that the 20th of October is and remains our liberty day. It will continue to be a day that marks the birth of a revolution, a day when young patriotic Nigerians gave their lives to prove a major point: Enough is Enough. A day that will always remind us that we must not give up until we are totally free. We must not give up, else the deaths go in vain.
Happy Liberty Day, 20th October 2021.
