Since the onset of COVID- 19, there has been a surge in enmity between civilians and police. Over the past months, people have complained of police brutality. Amnesty International has cautioned them, especially as police brutality is a violation of human rights. Hence it’s punishable. However, in some countries, the police are still mistreating people with an excuse of ‘trying to protect themselves.’ Human activists are concerned as police violence is degenerating into a monster. Demonstrators in Nigeria shot dead amid the strike.
For several weeks, residents in Nigeria have been protesting against police violence. One of their latest strikes involved protests to end SARS. This special anti-robbery squad has been extorting, torturing, and murdering innocent citizens. On Tuesday, as the civilians took to the streets on a peaceful strike, police opened fire.
The Witnesses
According to witnesses, yesterday police in Lagos shot protestors who were demonstrating against police brutality. The demonstrators had gathered at the city in defiance of the curfew. Many people were at the scene when the shooting occurred. Alfred Ononugbo stated it was around 7 pm when the police started shooting.
“They started firing ammunition toward the crowd. They were firing into the crowd,” said Alfred Ononugbo, 55, a security officer.
“I saw the bullet hit one or two persons,” he said.
Inyene Akpan, a 26-year-old photographer also reported that he had seen 20 policemen who were armed to the tooth arrive at the scene. He said they immediately began firing at the crowd. There was a lot of confusion as some people ran for their lives. At the same time, some people lay down covered in blood.
Condemnation
This atrocity received criticism from Rights Group. Amnesty International tweeted that the authority had used a lot of force resulting in the death of the protestors. It stated that it was going to investigate the deaths at Lekki gate and ensure the victims find justice.
Governor Visits The Hospital
The unfortunate incident sparked mixed reactions all over the country. Police brutality in the country had elevated to another level, making the society insecure. As some people lay lifeless amid the shooting, some yelled for help for they sustained fatal injuries.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos visited the victims who were taken to the hospital after the shooting. In a tweet, he stated that 25 people were on treatment for mild injuries. Two were in the intensive care unit while three were discharged.
He condemned the barbaric behavior of the policemen and promised to help in the investigations.
“As the Governor of our state, I recognize the buck stops at my table. I will work with the FG 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 give a state broadcast on Wednesday morning.
The governor also alleged that criminals sabotaged the protests and caused chaos in the city. The government spokesperson also told the media that it would look into the details of the shooting.
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