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Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo expresses his condolences and promises justice for up to 12 peaceful protesters shot dead by Nigerian security forces at the Lekki toll plaza.
Osinbajo’s comments, in a series of tweets on Wednesday night, were the first public comments by the country’s leaders regarding Tuesday’s shooting in Lagos state.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who has said little about the protests raging in his country, did not mention the Lekki shootings in a statement on Wednesday, but called for calm and promised police reforms.
The international human rights group Amnesty International said in a report on Wednesday, a total of 38 people were killed on Tuesday and at least 56 people in the past two weeks in protests targeting the police’s Special Anti-Theft Squad, known as SARS, that Amnesty accused. of torture and murder.
The government dissolved SARS last week, but that hasn’t dampened the outrage, with some protesters defying the curfew on Wednesday, allegedly sparking more shootings, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Amnesty also states in its report that the security cameras at the tollbooths where the protesters had gathered were removed by government officials prior to the shooting.
Osai Ojigho, Amnesty International’s director in Nigeria, said that in addition to investigating what happened Tuesday night, they also want to know who gave the orders for the soldiers to be there.
The Nigerian military has denied responsibility for the shooting near the Lekki toll gates.
There were reports of gunfire during demonstrations in other Nigerian cities, including the capital Abuja.
It is unclear if there were any casualties.
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