Nigerian forces reportedly open fire on anti-police brutality protestors

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) -Nigerian authorities reportedly opened fire on protestors demonstrating against the brutality of a police force called SARS (the Special Anti-Robbery Squad) in Lagos, Sky News reports.

Sparked on October 8 by a video of SARS officers apparently shooting a man in Delta state, the protests in Nigeria have now expanded to include demonstrations against the corruption and ineptitude of the government as well. Fifteen people are believed to have been killed in the ongoing protests.

The SARS police unit was set up to deal with violent crime, but there have been widespread reports that this squad engages in torture, extrajudicial killings, and extortion. It is reported that officers in plain clothes arbitrarily target young men in particular, Sky News reports.

Human rights group Amnesty International said Tuesday that there is “credible but disturbing evidence” that civilians protesting police brutality were shot dead by security forces in Lagos. In a tweet, Amnesty said: “While we continue to investigate the killings, Amnesty International wishes to remind the authorities that under international law, security forces may only resort to the use of lethal force when strictly unavoidable to protect against an imminent threat of death or serious injury.”

The shootings are said to have happened shortly after Lagos state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu tweeted that the protests had “degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society,” Sky News said.
In a statement, the police said security forces would now “exercise the full powers of the law to prevent any further attempt on lives and property of citizens,” Sky News said.

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