Political activist and human rights advocate, Aisha Yesufu, has accused the Nigerian government of acting like terrorists by killing its own citizens during the 2020 EndSARS protest.

Yesufu made the statement on Monday during an interview on Prime Time, a programme aired on Arise Television, while responding to questions about the fifth anniversary of the protest.

She recalled the tragic events at the Lekki Toll Gate, where security operatives allegedly opened fire on peaceful demonstrators.

“When the shooting began, a young man near me flinched as the gunfire rang out — a moment that remains deeply painful. It’s heartbreaking that Nigeria could inflict such harm on its young people,” she said.

According to the co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, the EndSARS movement didn’t fade away naturally but was forcefully suppressed.

“Guns were brought in. Soldiers who should have been defending Nigerians and the nation’s territorial integrity instead turned their weapons on citizens — Nigerian youths who were only waving the national flag and singing the anthem,” she recounted.

Yesufu further condemned the impunity surrounding the incident, saying, “When security officers threaten to kill and claim nothing will happen, October 20, 2020, proved that indeed they can kill Nigerians and face no consequences.”

She concluded, “It’s truly heartbreaking that the Nigerian government chose to act like a terrorist regime by killing its own people. Young Nigerians led an organised, peaceful protest, yet the authorities responded with violence.”