[BBC]
“A number of people have reportedly been shot dead or wounded at a protest against police brutality in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos.”
“Witnesses and the rights group Amnesty International said several people were killed and wounded when soldiers opened fire.”
“The state governor said about 25 people had been wounded but only one person had died.”
“Protests over a now-disbanded police unit – the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) – have been taking place for two weeks, with demonstrators using the social media hashtag #EndSars to rally crowds.”
“Witnesses spoke of uniformed men opening fire in the wealthy Lekki suburb on Tuesday evening.”
“The Premium Times newspaper quoted witnesses as saying about 12 people had been killed.”
“In a tweet, Amnesty International Nigeria said it had “received credible but disturbing evidence of excessive use of force occasioning deaths of protesters at Lekki toll gate in Lagos”.”
“A statement issued by [the office of President Buhari] said the dissolution of the Sars was “the first step in a set of reform policies that will deliver a police system accountable to the Nigerian people”.”
“The army has not issued a statement on events in Lekki, but in several Twitter posts it described media reports as “fake news”.”
“Protests began nearly two weeks ago with calls for the Sars police unit, which had been accused of illegal detentions, assaults and shootings, to be disbanded.”
“President Buhari dissolved the unit on 11 October.”
“But the demonstrators called for more changes in the security forces as well as reforms to the way the country is run.”
Read more: End Sars protests: People ‘shot dead’ in Lagos, Nigeria
Related: ‘They pointed their guns at us and started shooting’
2021-week24
