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By Reuters 
4h ago
Lagos – Soldiers opened fire on Nigerians protesting police brutality in the Lekki district of the commercial capital Lagos on Tuesday, and at least two people were shot, four witnesses told Reuters.
Thousands of Nigerians have demonstrated across the country every day for nearly two weeks against a police unit, the Special Anti-Theft Squad (SARS), which rights group has been accused over years of extortion, harassment, torture and murder. The unit was disbanded on October 11, but protests have persisted and protesters call for a series of police reforms.
“They started firing ammunition into the crowd. They were firing into the crowd,” said Alfred Ononugbo, 55, a security officer after the soldiers opened fire. “I saw that the bullet hit one or two people,” he said.
The condition of those two people was not immediately known. Amnesty International has said that at least 15 people have died since the protests began.
In a Twitter post, the Nigerian military said there were no soldiers at the scene of the shooting Tuesday night in Lekki, an upscale district where the tollbooth has been the scene of daily protests in Lagos, Africa’s largest city.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu tweeted photos of him visiting people at the hospital who were victims of what he called the “unfortunate shooting in Lekki.”
He said 25 people were being treated for mild to moderate injuries, two were receiving intensive care and three had been discharged.
This is the Nigerian army’s shooting of unarmed peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollbooth. #EndSARS #LekkitollgateMassacre pic.twitter.com/wXxxvGJrmd
– ije1 (@ ije12002) October 20, 2020
“As governor of our state, I recognize that the ball is resting on my table and I will work with the FG (federal government) to get to the root of this unfortunate incident and stabilize all security operations to protect the lives of our residents.” Sanwo-Olu said, adding that he would offer a state broadcast on Wednesday morning.
The Lagos state government previously said it would open an investigation into the shooting, which witnesses said began around 7 pm (1800 GMT).
A Nigerian army spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
If I die tonight I know I died a hero #Massacre of light #EndSARS #EndSarsNow #EndPoliceBrutality #EndBadGoveranceInNigeria #BuhariResignNow #buhariisamurderer pic.twitter.com/zZH2nhJbWK
– Celebrity Gorilla (@agboaino_legend) October 21, 2020
Inyene Akpan, a 26-year-old photographer, said more than 20 soldiers arrived at the Lekki tollbooth and opened fire. He said he saw two people being shot.
Akinbosola Ogunsanya, a third witness, said he saw about 10 people shot. Ogunsanya, who said the lights went out shortly before the soldiers arrived, also said he saw the soldiers remove bodies.
Another witness, Chika Dibia, said that the soldiers surrounded the people while shooting at them.
Ambulance just returned, they said the Nigerian ARMY did not allow them to pass through them to rescue the lives of young Nigerians at the lekki tollbooth … what sad news 😭💔#Light #EndSARSImmediately #EndBadGoveranceInNigeria #EndPoliceBrutality pic.twitter.com/4nfRq5rPuB
– Abubakar Hussein (@ Abubaka77812477) October 20, 2020
Video verified by Reuters showed men walking slowly towards the protesters, followed by trucks with flashing lights and the sound of gunfire. Another video showed the toll gate itself, with a protester waving a Nigerian flag, as people ran amid the gunfire.
A Reuters witness heard sirens and gunshots.
On Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari held scheduled talks with the defense minister and the defense chief of staff to discuss national security, two presidential officials who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters.
A spokesman for the president did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Nigerian army was due to begin a two-month national exercise on Tuesday. When the move was announced on Saturday, he denied it was part of a security response to the protests. Days earlier, the military said it was prepared to help maintain law and order.
The weeks-long protests were sparked by a video that began circulating in early October allegedly showing SARS officers shooting a man in the southern state of Delta. Police denied the shooting.
Authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew in Lagos on Tuesday as the state governor said protests had turned violent.
It is one of five out of 36 Nigerian states that have announced such measures in the past two days. The national police chief also ordered the immediate deployment of anti-riot forces across the country following the increase in attacks on police facilities, a police spokesman said.
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