Veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has revealed that her children received death threats during the #EndSARS protests, an experience she says fundamentally altered her approach to activism.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Rubbin’ Minds on Sunday, Omotola said she had previously grown accustomed to personal threats but was shaken when the intimidation extended to her family.
“I am used to death threats; I have received them many times.
“But I have never seen anything like what happened during EndSARS. It was intense, my kids started getting death threats. That was when it became real, and when I realised this was no longer just about me,” Omotola said.
The actress said the situation escalated further when individuals began searching for her at her home and workplace, prompting her to reassess her safety and that of her children.
“When people started coming to my home and workplace looking for me, I knew it was time to think beyond myself. I had to protect others, especially my children,” she said.
Omotola explained that the experience influenced her decision to move away from street protests toward more strategic and targeted advocacy, citing concerns about her children’s growing independence.
“I can’t control where they go. I can’t protect them as much. I don’t care for my life, but I do care for them,” she said.
#EndSARS was a decentralised Nigerian social movement and wave of mass protests that erupted in October 2020, demanding an end to police brutality, particularly abuses linked to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Protesters accused the unit of extrajudicial killings, harassment, extortion, and unlawful arrests, especially of young Nigerians.
The movement gained widespread momentum after a viral video allegedly showed SARS operatives killing a young man in Delta State, sparking nationwide outrage and sustained demonstrations across major cities.
Veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde joined protests at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, one of the movement’s symbolic centres, where demonstrators gathered daily to demand police reform and accountability.
However, following the events of October 20, 2020, when security operatives allegedly opened fire on unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, Omotola faced public backlash over a tweet in which she suggested that “if no one died, people should stop sensationalising” the incident, adding that it did not diminish the gravity of the crime.
Many Nigerians interpreted the comment as questioning the reality of deaths at the protest and criticised it as insensitive. Omotola later issued an apology, clarifying that she did not dispute the loss of life and that her intention was to stress that the alleged attack itself constituted a serious crime, regardless of casualty figures.
The Lekki Toll Gate shooting became the defining moment of the #EndSARS movement, drawing international attention and condemnation.
In response to the protests, the Federal Government announced the disbandment of SARS and introduced a new unit, the Special Weapons and Tactics team. Protesters, however, remained sceptical, insisting on broader reforms, including justice for victims, accountability for officers involved in abuses, the release of detained protesters, comprehensive police retraining, and improved welfare and salaries for officers.
