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Strong security presence in Nigeria’s largest city; Dozens of people were taken to hospital after soldiers reportedly fired at protesters.
Demonstrators against Nigerian police remained in the streets of Lagos on Wednesday despite a government curfew following a night of chaotic violence in which protesters were fired upon.
A heavy police presence was on the streets Wednesday to enforce the 24-hour curfew, hours after reports emerged of protesters shot dead by security forces.
The state governor said 30 people were injured in the shooting in the Lekki district of the commercial capital on Tuesday night.
Four witnesses said the soldiers fired the bullets and at least two people were killed.
The Nigerian military said on Twitter that there were no soldiers at the scene at the time of the shooting.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said 25 people were being treated for mild to moderate injuries, two were receiving intensive care and three had been discharged after Tuesday’s shooting.
“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,” said Sanwo-Olu.
Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from the capital Abuja, said the situation in the country’s largest city, Lagos, appears to be getting worse.
“Things have gone from bad to worse in Lagos. We are hearing of outbreaks of violence in the city. In Lekki, where last night’s attack occurred, there have been cases of arson and attacks on property, ”he said.
“We also heard that some 30 government buses have been set on fire at a bus station. One of Nigeria’s leading private television stations is off the air as well. A source has told us that it has been set on fire by protesters. The station is owned by an influential politician who belongs to the same party as the president ”.
Amnesty International said it had received “credible but disturbing evidence of the excessive use of force that led to the deaths of protesters at the Lekki tollbooth in Lagos” on Tuesday, adding that it was investigating “the killings”.
Another witness, Chika Dibia, said that the soldiers surrounded the people while shooting at them.
Video verified by the Reuters news agency showed men walking slowly in formation toward the protesters, followed by trucks 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 sound of gunfire.
Thousands of Nigerians have demonstrated across the country every day for almost two weeks against a police unit, the Special Anti-Theft Squad (SARS), which human rights groups have accused for years of extortion, harassment, torture and murder.
Authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew in Lagos on Tuesday after the state governor said protests had turned violent.
On Wednesday, the police installed roadblocks in the city and did not allow the passage of vehicles, although there were some cars and people walking, Reuters reported.
The SARS unit was disbanded on October 11 after the uproar, but protests have persisted and protesters call for police reforms.
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