‘Two killed’ during #EndSARS protests in Lagos

October 12, 2020 3:25 pm

Two persons have been reportedly killed in a protest against police brutality in Lagos.

The two persons were allegedly killed by police bullets during a protest in Surulere area of the state on Monday.

They were said to have died of gunshot wounds.

TheCable had reported how roads in Lekki, Surulere and Allen Avenue in Lagos were shut down as protests calling for the reform of the police and the dissolution of SARS continued.

The #EndSARS protest — which trended as number one globally on Twitter — was triggered by incessant cases of brutality.

Before now, there has been a series of protests across the country demanding the end of the police unit which is notorious for human rights violations.

Owing to the mass outrage, the IGP had banned operatives of SARS, the Special Tactical Squad (STS) and Intelligence Response Team (IRT) from undertaking routine patrols as well as stop and search duties.

But Nigerians were not pacified by this owing to similar promises of reforming the unit in the past which failed.

On Sunday, Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), announced the disbandment of the police unit.

He said the operatives will be redeployed, and that a new policing arrangement will be set up to fill in the gaps.

PROTESTS, KILLINGS, AND ATTACKS

There have been reports of attacks on protesters since the #EndSARS campaign began last week.

During the protests which were held across the country, casualties were recorded in different states.

Notably is Jimoh Isiaq, a protester who was killed in Ogbomosho in Oyo state on Saturday.

TheCable had reported how the police in Abuja dispersed a crowd of protesters with live bullets, water cannons and tear gas, on Sunday.

#ENDSARS: HAS SARS REALLY ENDED?

An analysis by TheCable questioned the IGP’s pronouncement on SARS regarding whether it will bring about the needed change.

The IGP had announced that SARS operatives would be redeployed to other police commands, formations and units while a new arrangement would be made to combat crime.

Shortly after the IGP’s announcement, Francis Ogbonna, a cameraman with ARISE TV, was assaulted by operatives of the force.

About 24 hours after SARS was dissolved, a Twitter user raised the alarm that operatives of the disbanded police unit were at Lekki toll gate area.

“They dissolved SARS but SARS are at Lekki toll rn, abeg make it make sense,” the user wrote.