Protests in Nigeria: authorities toughen their tone in the face of excesses
Protesters in the streets of Lagos the economic capital of Nigeria on October 20, 2020. AP Photo / Sunday Alamba
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2 min
After violent outbursts on the sidelines of demonstrations against police brutality and for good governance, which have been taking place for more than ten days, the Nigerian authorities have notably declared a curfew in Lagos, a megalopolis of 20 million inhabitants.
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With our correspondent in Abuja,
Liza Fabbian
The situation remains chaotic this Tuesday evening in several states of Nigeria.
Protesters continue to occupy several hotspots in the megalopolis of Lagos despite the announcement of a curfew, enacted in the middle of the day and effective from 4 p.m. for a period of 24 hours.
On Twitter, state governor
Babajide Sanwo-Olu
spoke of a “
difficult
” but inevitable decision.
According to him, the peaceful demonstrations have turned "
into a monster which threatens social cohesion
", he declared in particular.
Since Monday, October 19, these hitherto peaceful gatherings have led to
an impressive escalation of violence
.
Bands of young thugs described as “
thugs
” destroyed vehicles, injured and even killed demonstrators in several cities across the country.
Several police stations were vandalized on Tuesday in Lagos and Ibadan.
But many demonstrators and observers claim that these young people are paid by the authorities to stir up trouble and justify the intervention of the security forces.
This evening, the Nigerian Inspector General of Police announced a deployment of riot police throughout the country.
The army, already present in the streets of the capital Abuja since yesterday, must also be deployed throughout the country.
Officially this is an annual exercise, but this presence is seen as a threat aimed at stifling the protest movement.
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