Troopers have reportedly opened fireplace at individuals protesting in opposition to police brutality in Lagos, Nigeria, shortly after a 24-hour curfew was imposed within the metropolis over the escalating demonstrations.
Gunfire and sirens had been heard within the Lekki district of Nigeria’s monetary capital, witnesses advised Reuters.
Although there have been no official reviews of fatalities or accidents, some locals shared graphic footage on social media of blood-soaked clothes and flags.
“They began firing ammunition towards the group. They had been firing into the group. I noticed the bullet hit one or two individuals,” one native safety officer mentioned. A photographer, who labored on the scene, reported seeing two individuals being shot.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu launched a 24-hour curfew for an indefinite interval after a police station was set alight, saying that the two-week-long protests within the metropolis have “degenerated right into a monster that’s threatening the well-being of our society.”
Watching these movies is a significant heartbreak for me personally and as Governor, I can not watch as arsonists, hoodlums and anarchists proceed to cover beneath the #EndSars protest to unleash mayhem on the State and wantonly disrupt residents lives and property. pic.twitter.com/aTJgzApIWL
— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) October 20, 2020
A spokesperson for the governor later mentioned an investigation had been ordered into the reviews of shootings.
The curfew was apparently ignored by the demonstrators, indignant over the habits of the Particular Anti-Theft Squad (SARS), a police unit accused of widespread corruption that features kidnapping, harassment and extortion.
SARS was disbanded earlier in October, however individuals in Lagos and elsewhere in Nigeria are demanding extra protections from attainable police brutality, together with unbiased oversight for legislation enforcement and psychological evaluations of servicemen.
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