Nigerian protests against police brutality raised by deadly violence
The Nigerian police have also equipped some capsules to terrorize ongoing peaceful protests in Abuja and Lagos. A couple of them were caught and have confessed to having received 1500 naira (3.34 euros) for this. That’s the government’s plan – they want to tell international bodies that we fought among themselves so they can have a reason to liberate the army in the name of “maintaining peace.” A Twitter video from Oct. 15 posted by user Ruffwise shows men wearing machetes knives. and batons cross a road in Alausa, a district of Ikeja. The user writes that they are caps attacking peaceful protesters. A Twitter video from October 14 posted by user YouthprotestNG shows a car with broken windows and two bloody men next to a road in Abuja, the country’s capital. The man who recorded the video says: “They came to attack us. This is enough! We are fighting for everyone in this country, why should they attack us? According to the caption of the video, “these Fulani hoodlums attacked protesters at Berger in Abuja.” In a Twitter post from October 14, Amnesty International Nigeria condemned “the attacks on peaceful protesters by armed wives specifically hired to disrupt the ongoing #EndSARS protest”. It is not clear whether hoodlums were hired by the government or by other actors seeking to incite violence.
On October 14, the country’s police chief ordered police officers to stop using force against protesters, announced the release of all detained protesters and reaffirmed the right of Nigerians to protest peacefully. On October 15, however, the government announced a ban on all protests in Abuja. The same day, a post on the Nigerian army’s official Facebook page warned “all subversive elements and problems with decision-makers to abstain” and added that the army is “ready to fully support the civilian authority to maintain law and order”.
According to Nonye, Nigerians do not give up. # EndSARS protesters call on government to implement 5 key reforms: immediate release of all arrested protesters, justice for all victims of police brutality and compensation to their families, an independent body to oversee the investigation of police misconduct, retraining of dismissed SARS officers and pay raises for the police so that they receive adequate compensation to protect citizens.
“They must hear our voices. They want to instill fear in dissolving us and making us quiet as before. But enough is enough. We young people first ask to stay alive, and when that is achieved, we will come before our corrupt leaders. ”
A video posted on Twitter on October 14 shows a large crowd of protesters gathered and singing at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.
Article by Diana Liu.
