Burned-out buildings and armed gangs in Lagos despite president's plea

By Angela Ukomadu
LAGOS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Gangs armed with knives and sticks
blocked major roads in Lagos on Friday, with many angered by an
appeal by Nigeria's president for an end to demonstrations
against police brutality that turned violent when protesters
were shot.
A highway leading to the international airport was
obstructed by blockades manned by groups of young men demanding
cash from motorists. Buses whose drivers refused to pay were
destroyed, a Reuters witness said.
To the east of the city, in the Ibeju area of Lekki, armed
men chased away police and several police stations were burned
to the ground.
Violence in Africa's biggest city has escalated since
Tuesday night, when a curfew was announced.
The unrest is the worst street violence since Nigeria's
return to civilian rule in 1999 and is the most serious
political crisis confronting President Muhammadu Buhari, a
former military leader who came to power at the ballot box in
2015 and is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Amnesty International said soldiers and police killed at
least 12 protesters in Lekki and Alausa, another Lagos district
on Tuesday. On Thursday, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and 40
other groups called for an "immediate and thorough
investigation" into the incident. The army has denied soldiers were at the site of the Lekki
shooting, where people had gathered in defiance of the curfew.
Buhari, in a national address late on Thursday, urged youths
to "discontinue the street protests and constructively engage
government in finding solutions". It was his first public address since the shootings began.
Although he lamented the loss of innocent lives, he did not
directly refer to the Lekki incident that sparked international
condemnation.
Many of those on the streets said Buhari's speech had
angered them because of his failure to address the Lekki
incident.
Lagos authorities have struggled to enforce a
round-the-clock curfew imposed as anger over the killings rose.
One man on the road said military rule was better than what the
country has now.
Reuters witnesses saw two military vans pass the airport but
they ignored the armed men who were stopping, and in some cases
attacking, cars and buses.
Gunshots were audible in Ikoyi, an affluent island
neighbourhood, a resident told Reuters. Occupants of an
apartment block were told to avoid windows and balconies.
Rights group the Feminist Coalition, which had been
crowdfunding to support the protesters and pay the medical and
legal fees of those injured or arrested, said on Thursday that
it would stop taking donations.
"Our priority is always the welfare and safety of the
Nigerian youth," it said in a statement.
"Following the President's address, we hereby encourage all
young Nigerians to stay safe, stay home, and observe the
mandated curfew in your state."