The organisation made the demand in a statement on Monday, October 19, marking six years since security forces violently dispersed peaceful protesters demanding an end to police brutality in Nigeria.
CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, said the government must acknowledge the abuses committed, prosecute those responsible and provide comprehensive compensation and rehabilitation for survivors.
She described the suppression of the protests as a contradiction, noting that a movement against police brutality was met with state violence.
CAPPA cited the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s 309-page report, which described the Lekki incident as a “massacre in context” and indicted the Nigerian Army and police over deaths and serious injuries sustained by protesters. The organisation criticised the Federal Government for dismissing the findings and the Lagos State Government for disputing casualty records in its White Paper.
It also called for the full implementation of a July 2024 judgment by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, which found Nigeria liable for violating protesters’ fundamental rights and ordered compensation for victims and fresh, independent investigations.
The group further demanded the prosecution of personnel implicated in the death of 20-year-old journalist Pelumi Onifade, who was arrested by Lagos State Task Force operatives while covering protest-related events in October 2020.
According to CAPPA, an autopsy confirmed that Onifade died from a gunshot wound to his lower torso. The organisation said the findings were not formally presented until 2026 and called for conclusive criminal proceedings against the officers and commanding personnel responsible.
Warning that police brutality and restrictions on peaceful assembly remained widespread, CAPPA drew parallels between the #EndSARS protests and the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance demonstrations, during which security forces reportedly used tear gas, made arbitrary arrests and employed lethal force. The organisation said at least 24 people died across the country during the protests.
It also cited alleged abuses at Tiger Base, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command in Owerri, including torture, extrajudicial killings, extortion and prolonged arbitrary detention.
On proposed state police arrangements, CAPPA warned that decentralising policing without addressing impunity could increase abuses rather than improve public safety. It called for stronger oversight, strict regulation of the use of force and prompt criminal prosecution of officers found culpable.
The organisation urged the Federal Government to establish a transparent national programme for acknowledging the harm caused by the protests, delivering justice and providing reparations in consultation with victims’ families, survivors, civil society groups and the National Human Rights Commission.
It also called for the payment of outstanding compensation, sustained medical and psychological support for survivors, and the withdrawal of pending charges against individuals prosecuted solely for participating in peaceful protests.
CAPPA further urged the government to designate the Lekki Toll Gate as a national historic memorial site and make body-worn cameras mandatory for frontline police officers, with independent oversight of recordings and penalties for tampering with footage.
The group said political parties and candidates contesting the 2027 general elections should make justice for #EndSARS victims, police accountability and meaningful security sector reforms central to their political commitments.
