Police remove barricades from Lagos roads

Operatives of the Lagos state police command have commenced the removal of barricades on roads in the state.

The state command announced the development in a tweet on Friday.

It shared pictures of its officers removing barricades around the Oshodi area of the state.

“After ensuring that Ikeja is dislodged of miscreants mounting road blockade, police officers are presently removing blockades mounted on the roads by hoodlums around Oshodi, Lagos,” the tweet read.

After ensuring that Ikeja is dislodged of miscreants mounting road blockade, police officers are presently removing blockades mounted on the roads by hoodlums around Oshodi, Lagos pic.twitter.com/tZsoWhkawM

— Lagos State Police Command II (@rrslagos767) October 23, 2020

Over the past few days, there has been widespread violence in the state following protests against police brutality under the #EndSARS campaign.

On Tuesday, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, announced a 24-hour curfew to curb the spread of violence.

The curfew was earlier scheduled to begin at 4pm, but was rescheduled to commence at 9pm.

But around 7pm, armed soldiers invaded Lekki toll gate where protesters had been demonstrating peacefully, and opened fire in what appeared to be an attempt to disperse the crowd.

Some protesters held their ground, while some scampered to safety, leaving many wounded while others were reported to have died from injuries sustained.

In what appears to be a reprisal, several attacks were made on Wednesday and days after causing widespread destruction to lives and properties.

Several deaths were reported, including that of Oke Obi-Enadhuze, a fresh graduate of computer science from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in Ogun, who was said to have been stabbed to death — hours after he tweeted “Nigeria will not end me.”

According to his brother, he was killed in front of his home at Mafoloku, Oshodi area of Lagos.

Not less than 10 police stations across Lagos were set ablaze by hoodlums who also burnt the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) headquarters in the state.

There was a torching of Sanwo-Olu’s family home on Omididun Street, Lagos Island, as well as an attack on the bus rapid transport (BRT) terminal in Oyingbo, Yaba, and Berger areas of Lagos.

However, as of Saturday morning, there was movement around Lagos as the curfew has now been eased.