Lagos imposes indefinite curfew to curb Nigeria protests

Thousands of Nigerians demanding an end to alleged police brutality have taken to the streets every day for more than a week across the country.

Rallying under the #EndSars hashtag and harnessing social media to raise awareness and funds and to garner support from international celebrities, protesters have built a momentum that previous actions led by civil groups and unions failed to do.

To this end, authorities on Tuesday imposed a round-the-clock curfew on the Nigerian state of Lagos in response to protests against alleged police brutality.

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The protests, the police say, had turned violent. Anti-riot forces were also deployed following increased attacks on police facilities.

At least 15 people had been killed since the protests began.

The curfew would apply to all parts of the state, including Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital and Africa's largest city with 20 million inhabitants. Only essential workers have been exempted.

It had been imposed as the protests had turned violent.

The nationwide protests have persisted despite the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on October 11 following accusations of human rights abuses.

Early in the protests, police fired on protesters in the Surulere area of Lagos and elsewhere. Armed gangs have attacked protesters in Lagos and the capital Abuja.

Youth minister Sunday Dare said on Monday the government had met demonstrators' demands for talks on reforms in law enforcement and urged them to enter into dialogue.

Officials say they fear a surge in coronavirus infections due to people attending demonstrations.