Peaceful Protesters Were Reportedly Shot Dead in Nigeria. Here’s What to Know
Nigeria #Nigeria
Updated: October 21, 2020 10:31 AM EDT | Originally published: October 21, 2020 8:02 AM EDT
On Tuesday evening, reports and videos on social media appeared to show the Nigerian army opening fire on unarmed peaceful #endSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos after reportedly turning off the street lights and cutting phone networks. Casualty numbers are yet to be confirmed, although Amnesty International said late Tuesday that there was “credible but disturbing” evidence protesters had been fatally shot and witnesses told the BBC that 12 people were shot dead.
What is #endSARS?
Nationwide protests against police brutality began on Oct. 8, after a video emerged in early October showing police officers thought to be from the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or (SARS allegedly shooting and killing a young man in Nigeria’s southern Delta State. Although Nigerian authorities denied the reports, protests erupted across the country calling to disband the unit and #endSARS. Though they are leaderless, the demonstrations are mostly driven by young people who say they have been unfairly profiled by SARS.
The #endSARS hashtag dates back to at least 2017, when it was used to share experiences of assault and violence. SARS was formed in 1984 to combat an increase in armed robbery and crime but has been widely accused of unlawful arrests and other abuses. Amnesty International reported at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extra-judicial execution between January 2017 and May 2020. Despite promises of reform, Amnesty says SARS officers still act with impunity.
A general view of a building on fire near the Lekki-Ikoyi Toll Gate in Lagos on Oct. 21, 2020, after a deadly shooting of peaceful protesters in Lagos that Amnesty International blamed on security forces.
Sophie Bouillon—AFP/Getty Images
What happened at the Lekki toll gate on Oct. 20?
Several videos circulating on social media showed crowds gathering at the Lekki toll gate, in one of the suburbs of Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city. Witnesses told the BBC that uniformed men opened fire, and soldiers were seen barricading the protest site before the shooting. Video footage showed protesters singing the national anthem in the darkness, the noise gunfire as people ran away from the scene, and protesters tending to the injured at the scene.
How has the Nigerian government responded?
On Oct. 11, the government announced the disbanding of SARS. This is the fourth time there has been an announcement of either the disbanding or reform of the force, but activists say the move does not go far enough. Protesters have five core demands, including justice for the families of victims of police brutality, retraining of SARS officers before they are redeployed to other police units, and an independent body to oversee investigations into police brutality. Protesters have also expanded their aims beyond police brutality to harness frustration at years of corruption and bad governance.
On Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari’s office issued a statement calling on people to have patience as police reforms “gather pace,” but did not mention the shootings from the night before. The Nigerian military has not issued a statement about events in Lekki, but posted screenshots to Twitter calling several credible news reports about it “fake news.” The government is now extending curfews beyond Lagos, which was already under restrictions, to other cities across Nigeria. In a televised briefing Wednesday, Lagos governor Obaijide Sanwo-Olu said he has ordered an investigation into the military’s actions at Lekki. Sanwo-Olu confirmed more than 20 injuries, but said that no one had been killed.
How has the world reacted?
The protests, organized via social media, have won the support of celebrities abroad including Nigerian Afrobeat star Wizkid and British-Nigerian actor John Boyega. Beyoncé and Rihanna also shared a message of solidarity with Nigerian protesters via Twitter following the events at Lekki.
On Tuesday following the events at Lekki, U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden urged Nigerian authorities to cease the “violent crackdown on protesters” and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted calling on Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari to “stop killing young #EndSARS protesters.” Solidarity protests are taking place in London and outside the Nigerian Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa on Wednesday.
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