Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has renewed calls for accountability over the October 20, 2020 shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos, while criticising President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government over rising living costs.

Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, made the remarks in a post on his X account on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, marking six years since security personnel opened fire during the protests against police brutality.

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“Six years after the Lekki shooting, Nigeria is still waiting for a clear answer to one devastating question: Who gave the order?” Atiku asked.

He argued that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unresolved and criticised the government’s handling of questions about the incident, including Tinubu’s response in October 2020, when he questioned aspects of the protesters’ conduct and the events surrounding the casualties.

Atiku said the lack of accountability had deepened grief and distrust, particularly among young Nigerians who took part in the #EndSARS movement and demanded an end to police brutality.

“The APC has governed Nigeria through these six years. It cannot keep asking Nigerians to remember the dead while refusing to confront the unanswered questions,” he said.

The shooting at the Lekki tollgate occurred during nationwide #EndSARS demonstrations calling for an end to police brutality and reforms to the policing system.

Amnesty International reported in October 2020 that Nigerian security forces had killed protesters in Lagos, including at Lekki and Alausa.

In November 2021, the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry concluded that soldiers shot and killed unarmed protesters at the tollgate, according to its findings reported by Channels Television.

The circumstances, responsibility and accountability for the incident have remained subjects of public dispute.

Atiku said the government had a responsibility to address the questions raised by the incident and to demonstrate that citizens’ lives mattered.

He maintained that young Nigerians deserved both an account of what happened and assurances that their rights would be protected.

The former vice president also connected the unresolved questions surrounding Lekki to the economic pressures facing Nigerians, particularly young workers struggling with transport costs, food prices, education and housing.

He cited petrol selling at ₦1,405 per litre as an example of the financial strain on households and commuters.

The figure was the price Atiku referenced in his statement and would require independent confirmation for a wider claim about prevailing pump prices across Nigeria.

“The APC promised renewal. For too many Nigerians, the experience has been rising costs, shrinking opportunity and a future pushed further out of reach,” he said.

To illustrate the pressure on workers, Atiku recounted the experience of a young woman who he said had resigned from her job because her salary could no longer cover her transport expenses.

“The pay no longer covers transport. Everything in Nigeria just dey increase in price. Feels like I’m working for Bolt guys,” he quoted the woman as saying.

The account was presented by Atiku as an example of how rising commuting costs could undermine the value of employment. The individual’s identity and circumstances were not provided in the report.

Atiku said his proposed Economic Recovery Plan would seek to make life more affordable through measures including support linked to domestically refined fuel, greater local production, protection for minimum-wage earners, assistance for students and cuts to government waste.

He presented the proposals as an alternative to the economic conditions he criticised, arguing that employment should offer Nigerians a realistic route to financial stability.

The statement did not provide detailed costings, implementation timelines or projected outcomes for the measures mentioned.

Their likely impact would depend on the specific policies adopted, how they were funded and how effectively they were implemented.

Atiku concluded that young Nigerians should not have to choose between seeking accountability for past abuses and demanding better economic prospects.

“Young Nigerians deserve the truth about Lekki. They deserve a government that protects life, and an economy that gives work a chance to lead somewhere,” he said.

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His remarks place the anniversary of the Lekki shooting alongside the continuing political debate over the cost of living, public accountability and the Federal Government’s economic policies.