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Nigeria's nationwide police protests spread to southern oil hub

Published 13/10/2020, 14:14
© Reuters.

By Tife Owolabi
YENAGOA, Nigeria Oct 13 (Reuters) - Nigerian protests
seeking an end to alleged police brutality were held nationwide
on Tuesday, spreading to southern oil city Port Harcourt a day
after police opened live fire on protesters in Lagos where an
official said two people were killed.
Protesters have over the last week called for an overhaul of
policing to end misconduct. The calls have continued despite
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday vowing "extensive police
reforms". On Sunday authorities said the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad police unit, known as SARS, would be disbanded.
The unit was the target of demonstrators who accuse it of
beating up and killing Nigerians, and extorting money from them.
Hundreds attended a protest march on Tuesday in the southern
oil city of Port Harcourt, defying an order by Rivers State
Governor Nyesom Wike who said on Twitter that such
demonstrations were "prohibited".
The governor's spokesman did not immediately respond to a
request for comment after demonstrators took the streets.
Protests were also staged in parts of Lagos on Tuesday, a
day after police in the megacity opened fire with live
ammunition against demonstrators. Lagos Police did not comment
on whether officers fired live rounds, but said "unscrupulous
elements" among protesters had killed a bystander and a police
officer. Demonstrations were also held in the capital, Abuja, the
southeastern state of Enugu and Oyo state in the southwest.
Cheta Nwanze of SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based risk
advisory firm, said the protest were continuing because people
felt the disbanding of SARS was "cosmetic" as similar
announcements had been made in the past. He said protesters want
"real change".

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