* Amnesty says 12 protesters killed in Lagos on Tuesday
* President did not refer to protest shooting in speech
* Buhari is former military ruler voted into office in 2015
(Adds resident and Lagos governor)
By Angela Ukomadu
LAGOS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Gangs armed with knives and sticks
blocked major roads in Lagos on Friday, with many on the streets
angered by a speech in which the president called for calm but
failed to condemn the killing of protesters demanding an end to
police brutality.
The unrest is the worst street violence since Nigeria's
return to civilian rule in 1999 and the most serious political
crisis confronting President Muhammadu Buhari, a former head of
a military regime who came to power at the ballot box in 2015.
A highway leading to the international airport was
obstructed by blockades manned by groups of young men demanding
cash from motorists. Petrol stations were closed and cash
machines were not working in parts of the city.
Violence in Nigeria's sprawling commercial hub, a city of 20
million, has escalated since Tuesday night, when a
round-the-clock curfew was announced.
Amnesty International said soldiers and police killed at
least 12 protesters on Tuesday in Lekki and Alausa, two Lagos
districts. On Thursday, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and 40 other
groups demanded an immediate and thorough investigation of the
incident. A Nigerian DJ and musician known as DJ Switch, who broadcast
the shooting in Lekki live on Instagram, on Friday recounted the
incident on the social media platform. She said the military
carried out the shooting and she counted 15 dead bodies.
The army has denied soldiers were at the site of the
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. He
lamented the loss of innocent lives, but did not directly refer
to the Lekki incident that sparked international condemnation.
Many of those on the streets despite the curfew said
Buhari's speech had angered them by his failure to address the
fatal shooting of protesters.
"We expected him to say something to condemn the killing,"
said businessman Lekan Shonibare.
CURFEW
Lagos authorities have struggled to enforce the curfew as
anger over the killings rose.
The violence and destruction that led to buildings being
burned across the city meant many locals felt trapped.
"I feel it's not safe. We have had cases of people looting
and destroying properties," said Cynthia Kazuo, a resident of
the city's Yaba district who said she heard prolonged bursts of
gunfire outside her home in recent days.
The state government said on Friday the restrictions on
movement would be eased from Saturday, with the curfew in place
from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
"Our beautiful city has seen a level of destruction almost
akin to a war zone. It was a shocking and very sad spectacle,"
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu wrote on Twitter on
Thursday.
Disruption has not been limited to Lagos. Several states in
southern Nigeria have imposed curfews after two weeks of
confrontations between security services and protesters.
In addition to anger within Nigeria at the shooting of
demonstrators, the incident has prompted a wave of international
criticism of Nigerian authorities and the behaviour of the
security forces.
A delegation of U.S. officials who were in Nigeria for
previously scheduled meetings met the country's vice president
on Thursday and condemned the "use of excessive force by
military forces who fired on unarmed demonstrators in Lagos", a
State Department spokeswoman said.
In his address, Buhari said the international community
should "know all facts available" before rushing to judgment.