Lago: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari spoke to the nation about the unrest that has gripped the country in recent days without making any mention of the shootings of peaceful protesters at Lekki toll plaza on Tuesday night that prompted international outrage.
The military opened fire without warning on thousands of peaceful protesters singing the national anthem Tuesday night, killing at least 12 people, according to Amnesty International. The shootings have been widely condemned but Buhari did not speak of them at all during his Thursday address, instead urging protestors to stop their demonstrations.
“I would like to appeal to protestors to note and take advantage of the various well thought-out initiatives of this administration designed to make their lives better and more meaningful and resist the temptation of being used by some subversive elements to cause chaos with the aim of truncating our nascent democracy,” said Buhari in his televised address.
“For you to do otherwise will amount to undermining national security and law and order ... Under no circumstances would this be tolerated.” He called on Nigeria youths “to discontinue the street protests and constructively engage the government in finding solutions. Your voice has been heard loud and clear and we are responding.”
The street demonstrations began early this month with calls for Nigeria''s government to shut down the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a police unit known as SARS. The squad was launched to fight crime, but it carried out torture and killings, according to Amnesty International.
The #EndSARS campaign spread across the country and Buhari''s government announced that it would disband the SARS unit. The protest persisted with demonstrators calling for more widespread reforms of the police and an end to corruption.
But on Tuesday night security forces fired without warning into crowds of thousands of protesters singing Nigeria''s national anthem, killing 12, Amnesty said. The Nigeria military has denied shooting at the protesters.
Violent unrest erupted Wednesday in Lagos as mobs vandalised and burned police stations, courthouses, TV stations and a hotel. Smoke billowed from several locations in the city as police battled angry crowds with tear gas and gunfire.
Looting and gunfire continued in Nigeria''s second-largest city on Thursday. As looting gangs stormed through parts of Nigeria''s largest city, spreading violence for a second day in Lagos.
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Plumes of smoke rose from a prison where gunfire could be heard on Thursday, and a resident of the neighborhood where the Ikoyi Correctional Center is located, Tunde Oguntola, said he heard gunshots as soldiers and police officers put down what appeared to be an attempted jailbreak.
Police spokesman Olamuyiwa Adejobi told The Associated Press later Thursday that an incident inside the prison “has been put under control as our men have moved in there to assist prison security.” He did not describe the nature of the disturbance or say if anyone had been killed. Gangs continued to vandalize properties in Lagos, he said. The police spokesman distinguished the “hoodlums” from the thousands of demonstrators who had been peacefully protesting police brutality on the city's streets.
“They are looting properties, looting shopping malls and attacking ATM machines,” Adejobi said. Scores of rioters broke into a warehouse and stole food. Gunfire was heard in several parts of Lagos. By the afternoon, eight people with bullet wounds had been taken to Ikeja General Hospital, said a medic who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak to journalists.
In other parts of the sprawling city of 14 million, the streets were empty and shops were shuttered, as residents largely obeyed a government curfew meant to curb the chaos. Protesters active on social media disavowed the violence, saying their demonstrations had been hijacked by criminals.
The #EndSARS demonstrations began early this month with calls for Nigeria''s government to shut down the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a police unit known as SARS. The squad was launched to fight crime, but it carried out torture and killings, according to Amnesty International. The government has agreed to disband the unit, but the protesters broadened their demands to include more widespread reforms to end human rights abuses and pervasive government corruption.
Nigeria has massive oil wealth and one of Africa''s largest economies, but many of the country's more than 200 million people live with high poverty levels and without basic services because of rampant graft, according to rights groups.
The protesters who were on the streets earlier blocked traffic throughout Lagos and other cities in Nigeria but were peaceful, although 10 people died during the demonstrations, according to Amnesty International, which accused authorities of using unnecessary force.
But on Tuesday night security forces fired without warning into crowds of thousands of protesters singing Nigeria''s national anthem, killing 12, Amnesty said. The shootings drew international outrage and new attention from around the globe to the protests.
Violent unrest erupted Wednesday in Lagos as mobs vandalized and burned police stations, courthouses, TV stations and a hotel. Smoke billowed from several locations in the city as police battled angry crowds with tear gas and gunfire.
President Muhammadu Buhari — who has been largely silent about the protests engulfing his country — was set to address the nation Thursday night.
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(AP)
