The EndSARS protests turned bloody yesterday as soldiers allegedly stormed Lekki Toll Plaza in Lagos where thousands of demonstrators had congregated for almost two weeks 13 protesting against police brutality.
They allegedly killed 14 of the demonstrators while many were wounded,
Recall that the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had yesterday clamped a 24-hour curfew on the state.
The curfew which was slated to begin at 4 pm was afterward extended to 9 pm.
It was gathered that some hours after the announcement, staff of Lekki Concession Company (LCC), were seen on tape removing all the CCTV mounted on the tolls.
At dusk, some unknown persons turned off all the street lights, throwing the toll-gate into pitch darkness.
Prior to the blackout, it was learnt that two soldiers were at the tollgate from the Lekki axis to pledge their support for the protest by the #EndSARS campaigners.
Few minutes after the soldiers came, it was gathered that armed soldiers coming from the Ozumba Mbadiwe arrived and ordered the protesters to go home even with some few hours before the curfew would begin.
Led by one Gen F.O. Omata, formerly of Special Task Force Operation SAFE HAVEN and currently 81 Division Training Officer, Lagos, soldiers were seen on camera ordering the protesters to leave the tollgate.
Minutes after, they said: “This is your last warning, go home. We are warning you, go home.” Then, gunshots were heard.
A viral video recorded by an eyewitness, which was reposted on Instablog9ja, indicated that seven protesters were killed during the attack.
“They have killed more than seven people that I have seen with my eyes. They were killed with real bullets and not even rubber bullets,” the recorder of the footage said.
In his reaction, Sanwo-Olu blamed the killings of young on what he called “forces beyond our direct control.”
In a series of tweets on Wednesday morning, Sanwo-Olu described the tragic incident as “dark notes in our history,” and said he would make a state broadcast on the development.
“This is the toughest night of our lives as forces beyond our direct control have moved to make dark notes in our history, but we will face it and come out stronger.
“I’ve just concluded visits to hospitals with victims of this unfortunate shooting incident at Lekki. It has taken me this long to make a statement because I have to prioritize the welfare of the victims of this very sad incident
“There are currently 10 patients at the Gen Hospital, 11 at Reddington and 4 at Vedic; with mild to moderate levels of injuries while 2 are receiving intensive medical care. 3 patients have been discharged & we will continue to monitor and ensure all patients get the best care.
“As the Governor of our state, I recognize the buck stops at my table and I will work with the FG to get to the root of this unfortunate incident and stabilise all security operations to protect the lives of our residents.
“I will give a state broadcast in the morning,* the governor tweeted.
It was gathered that no fewer than 23 people were killed in Abuja, Oyo, Edo, Lagos and Plateau states yesterday.
In Abuja, it was learnt that armed thugs conveyed in what appeared to have been government’s black Sports Utility Vehicles with concealed number plates were seen attacking #EndSARS protesters in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja on yesterday.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, some of the thugs are seen jumping into a black Prado driven by a man in suit on Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent Wuse 2.
The vehicle is seen reversing unto Hospital Avenue and then the doors are flung open while thugs wielding stones and sticks run riot.
Another vehicle, which is a black Range Rover, soon joins the thugs while four buses filled with thugs parked on the roadside as more thugs alight from the buses.
There were unconfirmed reports that the thugs were coordinated by an official of the Department of State Services (DSS) attached to a top government official.
