Sars protest in Nigeria: riots in Lagos after the shooting

Buildings have been burned and there are reports of gunfire in Nigeria’s largest city after protesters were shot at in a protest.

Witnesses and the human rights group Amnesty International said several people were killed and injured when soldiers opened fire in Lagos on Tuesday.

Authorities have imposed a 24-hour indefinite curfew in the city and elsewhere, but some defied the order.

Protests have been taking place against a police unit for two weeks.

Protesters have been using the social media hashtag #EndSars to rally the crowds against the Special Anti-Theft Squad (Sars).

President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved Sars on October 11. But the protests have continued, with demands for more changes in the security forces, as well as reforms in the way the country is run.

Buildings throughout the city were burned and the police blocked roads. A major Nigerian television station with ties to a ruling party politician caught fire after people attacked with gasoline bombs.

Police from different districts of Lagos fired into the air on Wednesday to disperse protesters in defiance of the curfew, reports BBC’s Nduka Orjinmo from the capital Abuja. He also reports that the palace of the oldest traditional leader in the city was looted, although the leader was evacuated beforehand.

Authorities deny that anyone was shot and killed on Tuesday, saying several people were injured in the incident.

Witnesses spoke of uniformed men who opened fire on some 1,000 protesters in the wealthy suburb of Lekki on Tuesday.

Soldiers were seen barricading the protest site moments before the shooting, reports Mayeni Jones, a correspondent for BBC Nigeria. Social media images broadcast live from the scene show protesters tending to the wounded.

An unidentified witness told BBC News that shortly before 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT) the soldiers “stopped … and began shooting directly” at peaceful protesters.

“They were shooting and they were moving directly towards us. It was chaos. Someone was hit directly next to me and died on the spot,” he said.

In a tweetAmnesty International Nigeria said it had “received credible but disturbing evidence of excessive use of force leading to the deaths of protesters at the Lekki tollbooth in Lagos”, and a spokesperson said they were “working to verify how many” people died.

By Mayeni Jones, BBC Nigeria Correspondent

This morning we passed the Lekki-Ikoyi toll bridge, passing gates that had burned down the night before. Broken glass from various businesses was scattered on the floor, ATMs were burned.

Closer to Lekki, where there are several shopping centers, the streets were almost empty. It is usually a busy area, but there are no cars on the road, only young men on foot.

At Lekki’s own toll gate there were about 200 people, crowding around us, wanting to tell their stories from the night before, angry but also determined to stand their ground. Pools of blood could be seen on the ground.

The protesters waved flags that appeared covered in blood; They told me that the Nigerian flag, usually green, white, green, turned green, red, green yesterday for all the killings. Many of them had been at the scene of the shooting the night before and told horrific stories of seeing other protesters shot before their eyes.

Calls for police reform have turned into chants that President Buhari must go. The protesters say they are fed up and tired of the status quo.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said about 25 people had been injured, adding that authorities were investigating the death of a man from “blunt force trauma to the head.” It is not clear if he was a protester.

On Wednesday he called for flags to be lowered on government buildings and for an “immediate suspension” of all state activities for the next three days.

“There are no excuses for the unfortunate incident that took place last night, and as governor, I apologize for every action and inaction.” he tweeted.

Sanwo-Olu told the BBC’s Newshour program that the army had been present at the scene, despite public assurances that the soldiers would not be deployed until after the start of the curfew at 9:00 p.m.

“I think around seven o’clock there was a small army unit that was [to Lekki] and we heard that shots were fired, “he said.

On Twitter, the military described media reports of the incident as “fake news.”

President Buhari did not directly refer to the shootings in a statement Wednesday, but asked people to be patient as police reforms “accelerate” and called for “understanding and calm.”

Protests have been held in the UK, South Africa and Kenya against police brutality in Nigeria, while officials around the world condemned Tuesday’s events.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said it was “alarming to learn that several people were killed and injured during the ongoing protests,” adding that it is “crucial” to bring those responsible to justice.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on the police “to act at all times with the utmost restraint while calling on protesters to demonstrate peacefully and refrain from violence,” his spokesman said Wednesday.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on President Buhari and the military “to stop killing young #EndSARS protesters” in a tweet.

And former US Vice President Joe Biden, who is opposing President Donald Trump in next month’s election, also urged authorities to end “violent crackdown on protesters.”