CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
October 20 2020 was marked with bloodshed which can be described as extra-judicial killings. The Nigeria Army had opened fire on a group of peaceful protesters at Lekki toll gate, Lagos state. The protesters with the twitter hash-tag #EndSars had metamorphosed from a cyber outcry to the physical gathering following the Nigeria Police brutality on young people. The Nigeria Police unit called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) had been accused of the excessive use of force in discharging their duties. They have earned an ill-reputation as a unit in the Nigeria Police force that have hunted the youths of Nigeria and exude so much commitment to extortion, abuse, assault and eventual killings of Nigeria youths. SARS unit had failed in its duty of ensuring a society free of kidnapping, armed robbery and other heinous armed related crimes. The SARS unit has failed in the protection of life and property. They have consequently abused their office severally over the years, thereby giving room for the protest by the Nigeria youths to end the SARS unit.
Nigeria youths took to the streets (starting from Lagos state which later spread to other states in Nigeria) to protest against police brutality and killings. The protest had lasted for days which led the federal government to accept the demands of the protesters to end the unit. However, the protesters continued the demonstration when the federal government represented by the Inspector general of police ordered the doing-away of the SARS unit and the quick initiation of the Special Weapons and Tactical Squad (SWAT). This initiative did not sit well with the Nigeria youths who perceive the new unit as a new decoration on an old devil. This situation further triggered the protest as the demonstrators took the social movement to public places including the Lagos state Toll gate. At the night of 20 October, 2020 at exactly 6:50 pm the Nigeria Army fired live bullets at the protesters resulting to deaths of the armless protesters. According to theconversation.com (2020) at least 12 people were killed by the Nigeria Army as a result of direct use of firearms. The governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had denied any death of protesters, however after one week, he admitted that two people were killed (Businessday, 2020). According to peoplesgazette.com (2020) the Nigeria police was called upon to take possession and morgue registration of nine dead bodies by the Nigeria Army. The Nigeria police believed that the bodies were from the Lekki Massacre.
While the Nigeria Army has continued to deny its action, eye witness to the event, insisted that the Nigeria Army opened fire on the harmless protesters. The focus of this study therefore is to highlight, expatiate and establish the position of the Law both domestic and internationally on the subject of protest and the use of force during protest.