End SARS: Nigerian police 'open fire on protesters' in Lagos after 12 days of anti-police brutality demonstrations

Nigerians have taken to the streets to protest against SARS - a widely-criticised unit of the police often accused of abuses.

  

Nigerians are marching against a unit of the Nigerian police called SARS
Image:Nigerians are marching against a unit of the Nigerian police called SARS

Nigerian police have reportedly opened fire on protesters in Lagos after 12 days of demonstrations against police brutality.

Two people are believed to have been shot after more than 20 officers started shooting at demonstrators in the city's Lekki district on Tuesday, witnesses told Reuters.

Video shown on Nigeria's Channels Television appeared to capture audio of live rounds being fired at the scene.

State officials have already imposed a 24-hour curfew on the 20 million people who live in Lagos - Africa's largest city - in a bid to bring the protests to an end.

Protests have overwhelmed Lagos for 12 days
Protests have overwhelmed Lagos for 12 days

But the demonstrations, against a unit of the Nigerian police force called SARS (the Special Anti-Robbery Squad), show little sign of slowing down.

SARS was established in 1992 to tackle robbery, kidnappings and other violent crime, but has been widely criticised for human rights abuses including torture, extortion and extrajudicial killings.

Nigerians claim plain clothes police officers frequently target young men with tattoos, dreadlocks and expensive cars arbitrarily.


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