In an ironic twist, Lekki Tollgate, the epicentre of the #EndSARS protest in Lagos, turned out to be a theatre of shootings and death, as uniformed men allegedly opened fire on protesters last night. This was around 7:00pm.
Unconfirmed reports said, at least, seven persons were killed in the attack.
Some of the protesters had earlier in the day raised alarm on twitter that the flood lights in the area had been disconnected, preparatory for the operation.
A source told Vanguard that power was disconnected in the area to prevent the Close Circuit Television, CCTV, from recording the attack.
Vanguard gathered that as soon as dusk set in, the uniformed men stormed the area, and opened fire on the protesters, setting off pandemonium.
Consequently, protesters scampered in different directions for safety, with many sustaining life-threatening injuries.
It was learned that one of those who died in the attack was the Disco Jockey (DJ) who had been entertaining the protesters since the protest began about two weeks ago.
A source told Vanguard last night that an ambulance heading to the scene to evacuate the victims to the hospitals was turned back by the uniformed men.
Blood-stained Nigerian flags littered the area by the time the shootings ended last night.Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Plateau state governments yesterday declared 24 hours curfew, as hoodlums hijacked the #EndSARS protest which degenerated into a chaos across the country.
This came as no fewer than 13 persons were killed yesterday in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan, as hoodlums intensified their attacks on #EndSARS protesters, even as four police stations were razed in Lagos.
Of this figure, four were killed in Lagos, including two policemen; two in Ibadan; and seven in Abuja.
Several others also sustained injuries in these attacks and separate attacks in Jos and Lafia in Nasarawa State.
The activities of the hoodlums compelled some states of the federation to declare 24-hour curfew yesterday.
Announcing the curfew in Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the decision to declare the curfew, following the violence which broke out in some parts of the state, perpetrated by criminals hiding under the guise of #EndSARS protesters, said: “I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful #EndSARS protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society.
"Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our state.
“As a government that is alive to its responsibility and has shown a commitment to the movement #ENDSARS, we will not watch and allow anarchy in our dear state.
“I, therefore, hereby impose a 24-hour curfew on all parts of the state as from 4:00 pm today, October 20, 2020. Nobody, except essential service providers and first responders, must be found on the streets.’’
However, after the curfew was declared by the government, the #EndSARS protesters continued to gather around the governor’s office at Alausa yesterday.
They continued their demonstration against police brutality and other issues in the country, and in the course of the demonstration, the protest was thrown into a frenzy when the protesters sighted three patrol vehicles of ‘Operation MESA’ approaching them.
The operation, which is commonly known as ‘OP MESA’, is a joint internal security operational platform made up of the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
As they came closer, the military personnel in the vans hailed the protesters who in turn gathered around the patrol vehicles in a show of friendliness.
Down the road, some police patrol vehicles were also parked as police personnel mounted a security spot in the area.
In a show of support, some of the protesters also formed a human shield against possible attacks from unruly demonstrators.
However, in some other parts of Lagos, the security men crushed down on the hoodlums who had hijacked the protest from the #EndSARS protesters.
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