Etim Ekpimah
Seven young protesters were on Tuesday night killed by security forces deployed at Lekki toll gate after a declaration of curfew in Lagos by the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The protesters apart from demonstrating against a scrapped unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, are also agitating for good governance and accountability. They have been demonstrating against police brutality in the past 13 days.
It was learnt that before the shooting, lights at the toll gate were put off and closed-circuit television cameras disconnected before masked security operatives started opening fire on innocent protesters.
Lekki residents had also confirmed the shooting, saying that they heard heavy gunfire around the toll gate on Tuesday evening.
Different videos, which were recorded by eyewitnesses, were reposted on Twitter and some other platforms to show how the protesters were killed. Videos of continuous gunshots had gone viral on social media.
“They have killed more than seven people that I have seen with my eyes. They were killed with real bullets and not even rubber bullets,” the recorder of the footage said.
Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu, who visited the injured in hospitals in the early hours of Wednesday, said 10 injured patients were being treated at the General Hospital, 11 at Reddington, and 4 at Vedic.
He said: “There are currently 10 patients at the Gen Hospital, 11 at Reddington and 4 at Vedic; with mild to moderate levels of injuries while 2 are receiving intensive medical care. 3 patients have been discharged & we will continue to monitor and ensure all patients get the best care.”