The city of Lagos state, the commercial capital of Nigeria is gradually experiencing calm after two days of arson by hoodlums, who threw the State into confusion.
Lagos came under heavy arsons on Wednesday, hours after the shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the popular Lekki Toll Plaza. Amnesty International claimed that at least 12 people were killed by security operatives during the Lekki shooting. The army has denied any involvement despite video evidence showing armed soldiers at the scene.
Popular female disc jockey, Obianuju Catherine Udeh popularly known as DJ Switch, who streamed the Lekki shooting on her Instagram Live, yesterday, disclosed that at least fifteen protesters were killed during the horrific incident. Same day, President Muhammadu Buhari told former Nigerian leaders that at least 69 people have been killed in the protests against police brutality in the country.
The #EndSARS protest started on October 7 by young Nigerians demanding police reform and the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian Police accused of harassment, intimidation, brutality and extrajudicial killings.
- 69 killed, 37 injured in #EndSARS unrest – Buhari
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Hoodlums had on Wednesday and Thursday set ablaze dozens of public and private properties in Lagos including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) terminals, Council secretariats, the palace of Oba of Lagos, police stations among others. Malls, banks and warehouses were also looted and vandalised by the hoodlums.
As calm returns, the governor of the state, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu commenced an assessment tour of sites and properties damaged by hoodlums following the breakdown of law and order in the wake of the Tuesday night Lekki shooting.
At the Ajeromi Ifelodun local government secretariat, the building was totally destroyed while vehicles parked in the premises were either burnt or damaged.
An old generation bank and a police station adjoining the secretariat were also destroyed.
The governor proceeded to Oyingbo Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which was also set ablaze by the arsonists. The BRT buses parked within the terminal were also burnt.
The people of Oyingbo during the governor’s visit echoed, “Enough is enough, we want peace.”
The governor also visited the palace of the Oba of Lagos, which was looted and vandalised. “It is a total destruction,” sympathizers echoed as the governor and his entourage assessed the damage.
One of the officials of the Lagos-Island East Local Council Development Area described the attack on the Oba’s palace as a coordinated one. “It is beyond what we are seeing, as such, an investigation needs to be carried out to unravel those beyond the attack,” he said.
Also, the chairman of Isale Eko Descendant Union, Mr. Yomi Tokosi described as a taboo, the carting away of the Oba’s staff of authority. He warned those in custody of the Oba’s staff to return it or face the consequences.
The Governor visited 27 locations across the State where Government assets and private properties were destroyed and physically assessed the level of the vandalism.
Sanwo-Olu described the arson attack in Lagos as “coordinated wanton destruction”, saying it would take the State many decades to recover from the devastation.
Our correspondent observed that Some youths have started clearing the streets of debris and road blocks earlier mounted during the protests. A few youths were seen clearing the popular Allen Avenue junction at Ikeja.
Some residents were also seen moving around while petty traders were sighted around Oyingbo, Ikeja and other areas selling their wares despite the curfew in the state.
Sanwo-olu relaxes curfew
However, the governor, yesterday, relaxed the curfew imposed on the State with effect from Saturday.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Gboyega Akosile in a tweet disclosed that the curfew which was initially for 24 hours had been relaxed to begin from 6pm to 8am.
The State Government had on Tuesday imposed 24-hour curfew following the unrest that trailed the #EndSARS protests in some parts of the State.
23 police officers to be probed
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, yesterday, released list of ongoing criminal prosecution of police officers for offences related to violation of human rights in the State.
The list contains name of 23 police officers being charged for various offences. Eight are being prosecuted for murder while others face trial for offences, ranging from attempted murder to manslaughter, grievous bodily harm, involuntary manslaughter and armed robbery.
The Attorney General of the State, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) made known that the Ministry has overtime been committed to the prosecution of cases of police abuses.
While about half of the cases have been partly heard, some are for arraignment, some of the cases are newly filed while a few are ready for filing. The list indicates the names of plaintiffs and defendants, offences committed, courts and judges assigned to cases as well as current status of each case.
Governor Sanwo-Olu had also tweeted that, “Today seems like a good day to get on the work of rebuilding Lagos and ending police brutality. To show our commitment to the latter, here is a list of ongoing prosecution of police officers for offences related to the violation of human rights in Lagos.”
The Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat has called for reconciliation among residents of the State.
Hamzat who spoke on the Star 101.5FM on Friday noted that the intention of the initiators of the peaceful #EndSARS protests was genuine until it was hijacked by hoodlums who unleashed mayhem across the State and the country.
According to him, in spite of the degree of damages done to the State and the people by hoodlums, Lagosians must come together as a united people to rebuild the society.
He appealed to the youths to embrace peace and dialogue so as to move the State forward. “Let us all calm down and stop destroying businesses set up to employ our people,” he urged.
We counted at least 15 bodies at Lekki shooting — DJ Switch
Meanwhile popular female disc jockey, Obianuju Catherine Udeh popularly known as DJ Switch, who streamed the Lekki shooting on her Instagram Live on Tuesday, has disclosed that at least fifteen protesters were killed during the horrific incident.
DJ Switch disclosed this yesterday, same day President Muhammadu Buhari said that at least 69 people have been killed in protests against police brutality in the country.
The BBC reported that President Buhari at an emergency meeting with former Nigerian leaders, disclosed that 51 civilians, 11 police officers and seven soldiers had been killed in the unrest, his spokesperson said. It was not immediately clear whether these figures included the protesters allegedly killed by security forces in Lagos on Tuesday.
She said at least 15 people were killed in the shootings and that she and other survivors took the victims’ bodies to the soldiers who took them away.
“To our leaders, please I urge you not to insult the intelligence of Nigerians and their families. Something I think about now in hindsight is, I wish we had not done it, but we carried the dead bodies and dropped it at the feet of the soldiers so that they could see what they did to us. When I asked their unit commander, ‘Why are you killing us?’ I wish we had not done that because they ended up throwing the dead bodies in their vans. This happened till the next morning,” she said.
In a video, which she posted on her Instagram account, DJ Switch claimed that both the Nigerian Army and Police were responsible for the shooting.
“Yes, there were soldiers there. Another thing people are not talking about is that the Police were also there. The SARS people we are talking about also came about 45 minutes after the soldiers left. We were tear-gassed; the tear gas felt like Cotonou pepper mixed with acid.
“We would run and come back and the only thing we fought with was our flags. We would sit on the floor; raise our hands up singing the national anthem. That was all we had. They put off the lights, even if there was no power supply on a good day, in that axis, there is always light at the Toll Gate. It was pitch-black.”
Amidst tears, the DJ showed some of the bullets the protesters picked up which she referred to as proof. She also showed a bullet that was removed from the lap of one of the victims during the streaming of the shooting.
“While the soldiers were picking their shells, we were running around picking their shells too because we wanted proof.
“The military, they were there on Nigerian soil, killing Nigerian citizens. The police and SARS people came doing the same thing. Aiming and shooting; aiming, they were pointing the guns at us and shooting live bullets. Who takes live bullets to a protest? Who does that?”
She also berated those that opened fake handles with her name to spread fake news about the incident.
“I also want to appeal to the people opening fake accounts in my name; please it is already hard as it is. People risked their lives to get me out of the place I call my home. Please, stop saying things you do not know. I understand things are hard and difficult. In this era of social media, you want to get followership that can help you make some money; I understand but at least copy the truth and put it out. That is all I am asking.
“Please, I never said 78 people died, I do not know that. I do know that as at the time I was doing the Live video, seven people had died. When my battery died, we had counted about 15 people. I don’t know if it was more than that because we had a lot of people that were hit by stray bullets. 78 people? I do not know where you got that information from,” the disc jockey said.
She condemned arsonists vandalising and destroying public and private properties in the state.
“I condemn any sort of violence. I condemn the burning of buses and the source of people’s livelihood. I know we are angry but the most powerful weapon we have is peace. Let us continue, I cannot wait to come back because I will definitely be back on the street peacefully.”
