the foreign secretary dominic raab says
he's alarmed by
widespread reports of civilian deaths in
nigeria and called for an end to the
violence
the human rights group amnesty
international says it has received
credible and disturbing evidence that
nigerian security forces shot
and killed at least 12 people taking
part in peaceful protests last night in
the country's largest city
lagos for weeks now there have been
demonstrations against police brutality
across
africa's most populous country
protesters accuse the now disbanded
special anti-robbery squad or sars of
torture
nigeria's president has appealed for
calm while the army has denied any
involvement
an indefinite curfew has been imposed on
several regions
including lagos from where our
correspondent mainly jones sent this
report
a city in chaos
across lagos buildings have been torched
and sporadic clashes have erupted
this is what sparked the outcry
soldiers shooting unarmed protesters in
the country's
largest city they are shooting our
thoughts they are shooting
what happened here on tuesday night has
deeply unsettled nigerians
this is not the first time the army has
been accused of shooting innocent
protesters
but the fact that it happened here in
what was one of the most peaceful
protest sites in ensar's
has ignited an already volatile
situation
what started off as a protest against
police brutality
has widened to calls for change in the
status quo
and inequality we're the poor we are
suffering
we can't go to history main square we
are doing our process
nobody was even out we obey the law
why must they send soldiers to hamas if
they can put this nation in order
let them stop aside let you take over
and put this nation in another we need a
betterment
of this nation they should be
accountable to us
we don't want police
this is a protest that was born on
social media
more than half of the country is under
24.
last night's events were broadcast
online and the nsar's hashtag has
galvanized support
i would say nigerian government you guys
are ashamed to the world
for killing your own citizens sending
military to the streets
to kill unharmful protesters because
they are protesting for their rights
it's uncalled for well now nigeria has
been a dictatorship
for almost half of its life as an
independent nation
many of its citizens worry choose these
events echo the dark days of military
rule
and they're determined to make sure that
doesn't happen
mainly jones bbc news lagos