BREAKING NEWS: Nigeria Police Declare LGBTQ Activist Prince Lateef Adekolapo Goloba Wanted Over Alleged Role in #EndSARS ProtestsIn what critics are calling a politically motivated escalation, the Nigeria Police Force has declared LGBTQ rights advocate and former Lagos State University student, Prince Lateef Adekolapo Goloba, 29 — a traditional prince from the Isolo Kingdom in Lagos State who is currently based in the United States — wanted in connection with the #EndSARS protests that swept through Lagos and other parts of the country in October 2020.
An arrest warrant was reportedly issued by a Lagos State High Court following police allegations that Goloba conspired to fund, incite, and organize violent demonstrations—protests that were, in large part, peaceful and youth-led, calling for an end to police brutality and the disbandment of the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
According to sources familiar with the investigation report, Goloba was linked to the protests through several arrested acquaintances: Sunday Okoro, Moshood Abiola, and Rasheed Bolaji—individuals who have allegedly been detained without trial since 2020. Despite widespread documentation of excessive force by security agencies during the #EndSARS movement, authorities have continued to target protest organizers while failing to hold state actors accountable for violence against demonstrators.
The report controversially singles out Goloba’s sexual orientation, identifying him as a member of both the LGBTQ community and The Right Defense group, and implies that this affiliation may have influenced his activism. Human rights observers have strongly condemned this inclusion as irrelevant and discriminatory, pointing to a broader pattern in which Nigerian authorities weaponize personal identity to discredit dissent.
Civil society organizations and legal advocates have raised alarm over what they see as an ongoing crackdown on peaceful activism—arguing that the pursuit of Goloba reflects broader efforts to silence critics and marginalize vulnerable communities under the pretext of national security.
