Sanwo-Olu imposes 24-hour curfew on Lagos as violent protests spread

• Two police stations torched

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state as peaceful protests by youths against police brutality and all forms of injustice may have been hijacked by hoodlums spreading violence to many parts of the state.

The curfew is coming less than 24 hours after the state government ordered the indefinite closure of all private and public schools in the state for fears that the #EndSARS protests could degenerate into violence with the reported attack on scores of policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad on Monday in which 19 of them were said to be seriously wounded.

The Lagos governor in a statement he just released said miscreants and criminals were taking advantage of the #EndSARS protects to unleash mayhem on innocent people.

The curfew taking effect from 4pm on Tuesday (today) has no definite terminal date going by the governor’s statement.

Sanwo-Olu said, “I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful #EndSARS protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society. Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our state.

“As a government that is alive to its responsibility and has shown a commitment to the movement #ENDSARS, we will not watch and allow anarchy in our dear state.

“I, therefore, hereby impose a 24-hour curfew on all parts of the State as from 4pm today, 20th October, 2020. Nobody, except essential service providers and first responders must be found on the streets.”

On Monday, the state government through the Head of Public Affairs, Ministry of Education, Kayode Abayomi, said the decision to close schools was due to the activities of the anti-#ENDSARS protesters.

Protesters blocked all major roads on Monday; stormed the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and grounded activities at the place.

“The Lagos State Government has directed all pupils/students in public and private schools to stay at home following the tension generated by the anti-SARS protests.

“A new date of resumption for all classes will be announced as soon as possible,” the statement said.

Some policemen attached to the RRS were on Monday attacked at the Adekunle area along Herbert Macaulay Way around 10am. The policemen had to flee from the scene as hoodlums hurled stones and other dangerous missiles at their vehicles.

About 19 of the 97 RRS officers being taken to their different beats were reportedly injured and four police vehicles damaged by the hoodlums. The Lagos Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, condemned the assault.

There are also unconfirmed reports of some hoodlums setting a police station on fire on Tuesday (today) at Orile-Iganmu and another at Ijora Badiya; both are Lagos suburbs, causing panic among people in the area.