Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for demanding accountability over the October 2020 Lekki Toll Gate shooting, questioning why he did not raise the matter during his meetings with former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Olusegun accused Atiku of using the sixth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests to advance his presidential ambition, arguing that the former vice president had opportunities to question Buhari, who was in office when the incident occurred.
In a statement responding to Atiku’s demand for answers, the presidential aide cited the former vice president’s visits to Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, on 22 June 2024, and at his retirement residence in Kaduna on 11 April 2025.
“Those two opportunities presented you with chances to ask former President Buhari, who was President at the time of the Lekki Toll Gate protests, the questions you are now asking President Tinubu,” Olusegun said.
He argued that Atiku’s decision to renew the call for accountability six years after the incident raised questions about his sincerity, alleging that the former vice president was motivated by his ambition to become president.
Atiku had renewed his demand for accountability in a post on his X account on Tuesday, asking who authorised the shooting during the protests against police brutality.
“Six years after the Lekki shooting, Nigeria is still waiting for a clear answer to one devastating question: Who gave the order?” he wrote.
The former vice president also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of failing to provide satisfactory answers about the incident and address the concerns of young Nigerians. He further criticised Tinubu’s response to the shooting, referring to comments the President made in October 2020 about the protesters and the casualties recorded.
In his response, Olusegun defended Tinubu, arguing that the President, who was a private citizen at the time, was also affected by the unrest.
He claimed that Tinubu’s residence on Bourdillon Road in Lagos was nearly burnt down during the protests, forcing the then-former governor and his domestic staff to flee for safety.
“In case your memory is failing you, sir, may I remind you that President Tinubu, who was an ordinary citizen in 2020, suffered perhaps more than anyone else during the protests,” Olusegun said.
The presidential aide also challenged Atiku’s description of the incident as the “Lekki Massacre”, arguing that the term had not been conclusively established through legal proceedings.
He accused the former vice president of using the tragedy to score political points, further alleging that Atiku’s intervention was intended to revive his economic recovery proposals and strengthen his presidential ambitions.
The #EndSARS protests began in October 2020, as young Nigerians mobilised against police brutality and demanded the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate became one of the most contentious episodes of the protests, prompting widespread calls for an investigation into the events of that night, the casualties and the circumstances surrounding the use of force.
Six years later, questions surrounding responsibility and accountability for the incident remain a subject of public debate.
