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Executive Director of Enough is Enough (EIE) Nigeria, Opeyemi Adamolekun, has likened the EndSARS protests of October 2020 to the Nigerian Civil War, describing both as painful national events the country has failed to properly remember or learn from.
Speaking in an interview with News Central on Monday, to mark the fifth anniversary of the EndSARS protests, Adamolekun said the tragedy at Lekki Toll Gate should never be forgotten.
“There’s nothing really that we do as a country that reminds Nigerians that we did fight a civil war because we want to amplify the whole ‘one Nigeria’ narrative and forget that almost a million people lost their lives in the eastern part of the country,” she said.
Drawing parallels between past injustices and the government’s handling of peaceful protests, she noted that history was repeating itself through national silence.
“Most narratives of the Biafran war are said by Igbos because they were the ones most affected, but the rest of the country chooses to move on,” Adamolekun added.
“So it’s a pattern… from Mapo 6 to OD to Ogoni 9… It is not surprising.”
She lamented that collective amnesia has allowed such tragedies to fade from public consciousness, and praised News Central for covering the memorial event.
“I’m really glad News Central is here and taking coverage — you guys are the only media people here. The media has a responsibility to remind the country of its history,” she said.
Reflecting on the events of October 20, 2020, Adamolekun recalled how peaceful protesters were shot by security forces at Lekki Toll Gate.
“EndSARS five years ago was significant. Yes, it was not the first protest, but on this particular day five years ago, the Nigerian government decided to open fire and shoot at its citizens,” she stated.
“It’s not something we can forget, and that’s why our hashtag today is #WeWillNeverForget.”
Adamolekun warned that Nigeria risks erasing a vital part of its recent history if the lessons of EndSARS are not taught to younger generations.
“Imagine this is five years — a child born then will be 10 by 2030. What will their understanding of EndSARS be if we are not actively talking about it?” she asked.
“More importantly, are we ensuring that the demands around police reform and behaviour are actually implemented?”
She concluded by calling for continued public engagement, media responsibility, and policy action to ensure that EndSARS remains a living reminder of accountability, justice, and reform — not a forgotten chapter in Nigeria’s history.
