Nigerian security forces have opened fire on demonstrators at a protest site in the commercial capital Lagos hours after the state imposed a curfew amid rallies against police brutality in Nigeria. Witnesses told Reuters that the soldiers fired at the protesters in the Lekki district of the capital on Tuesday.
“They started firing ammunition toward the crowd. They were firing into the crowd,” said Alfred Ononugbo, a security officer. “I saw the bullet hit one or two persons,” he said.
The Cable reports that at least three people have died in the shooting. Amnesty International has said in a statement it had received “credible but disturbing evidence of excessive use of force occasioning deaths of protesters at Lekki toll gate in Lagos.” It said it was investigating “the killings”.
Footage seen on social media show scores of people demonstrating while other Nigerians are calling for an end to the reported shootings. The Nigerian army is yet to comment on the development but on Tuesday, the national police chief ordered the immediate deployment of anti-riot forces nationwide.
For two weeks now, thousands of people have been taking to the streets of Abuja and Lagos demanding an end to police violence.
