Lagos was under a round-the-clock curfew enforced by police on Wednesday, the day after witnesses reported soldiers opening fire on civilians in Nigeria’s biggest city, in an incident a rights group said may have caused deaths.
The Lagos State Governor said 30 people were hurt in the shooting during a demonstration at a toll gate in the Lekki district, a focal point of nearly two weeks of nationwide protests against allegations of systematic police brutality.
As President Muhammadu Buhari appealed for “understanding and calm”, Amnesty International said it was investigating “credible but disturbing evidence of excessive use of force occasioning deaths of protesters” at the toll gate.
Four witnesses said soldiers had fired bullets and at least two people had been shot. Two of the witnesses said the gate’s lights were turned before the shooting began. One said he saw soldiers remove bodies.
In a Twitter post, the Nigerian Army said no soldiers were at the scene.
On Wednesday, fires were burning across Lagos and residents of the districts of Ebute Mette, Lagos Island and Okota reported hearing gunfire. Nigerian authorities imposed the curfew on Lagos on Tuesday.
Thousands of Nigerians have joined the protest that started against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
