Lagos
At least 15 people were killed, including two policemen, since protests against police brutality erupted in Nigeria this month, Amnesty International told AFP.
Protests have been largely peaceful but tensions were rising as anger over abuses by Nigeria police’s notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have snowballed into calls for sweeping changes in the West African powerhouse. Authorities in Nigeria’s southern Edo state have imposed a 24-hour curfew following what it describes as “incidents of vandalism and attacks carried out by hoodlums in the guise of protesters.” Huge protests against police brutality continued in the state on Monday with several reports of riots breaking out in different locations and a jailbreak at a detention facility.
Secretary to the state government, Osarodion Ogie, who announced the curfew said it is to take effect from 16:00 Monday until further notice.“This decision has become necessary because of the very disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on private individuals and institutions by hoodlums in the guise of the #ENDSARS protests.—Agencies
