The violence that rocked #EndSARS protests across the country worsened on Tuesday with 43 protesters and six policemen losing their lives.

Protesters calling for the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police have been carrying out peaceful demonstrations across the country since October 8.

However, the protests assumed a violent dimension last week when thugs attacked peaceful protesters in Lagos and Abuja.

The hoodlums, who have been attacking protesters in Abuja, became emboldened on Tuesday when they killed six protesters at Waru, Wumba, and Kubuwa.

27 protesters, two policemen killed in Lagos

In Lagos alone, no fewer than 29 people, including two policemen, were killed when the police shot protesters in different parts of the state.

In Mushin, 17 people lost their lives during a clash involving hoodlums and policemen attached to the Olosan Division.

The PUNCH gathered that the hoodlums, who reportedly barricaded the Oduwoye Junction in Mushin, denied the Divisional Police Officer, Olosan Division and some policemen, access to the route to a destination in the area.

In the process, it was learnt that there was a confrontation between the hoodlums and the policemen who reportedly retreated to their base.

However, tragedy struck when the policemen, reportedly led by the DPO, reinforced to the Oduwoye Junction and started releasing bullets into the air to scare away the hoodlums.

An eyewitness, who gave his name simply as Ashimiu, said when the hoodlums refused to leave the road, in a bid to disperse them, the policemen allegedly released some bullets into the crowd, adding that no fewer than 17 people had been reported dead.

He said, “People were at Oduwoye Junction in Mushin around 12.30 pm and blocked the road but when the DPO of the Olosan Police Station and his team wanted to drive through the blocked route, they were denied access. This, however, led to confrontation, so they went back to their base.

“A few minutes after, the policemen, led by the DPO, reinforced to the blocked location and started shooting in the air to scare them away from the road. But when they realized that the people were unmoved, they released bullets into the crowd and more than 17 people were killed. Many people also sustained grievous bullet wounds, some of whom were rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

“I have personally seen seven corpses; three corpses at Atewolara Junction, two corpses at Way Street, opposite Oando Filing Station, and two corpses at Oduwoye Junction, opposite the market. Soldiers are in the area to douse the tension and some of the corpses were evacuated by them, while some other corpses were taken away by the families of the victims.”

Two policemen, three protesters killed as hoodlums burn police stations in Lagos

Five persons, including two policemen and three #EndSARS protesters, were also killed during a clash involving policemen attached to Orile Police Division and some protesters in the Orile area of the state.

It was gathered that the protesters were chanting #EndSARS at the station when the DPO, Orile Division and her policemen allegedly opened fire at the protesters, killing three persons in the process.

Enraged by the development, it was learnt that a clash occurred between the protesters, including hoodlums, and policemen attached to the division and during the attack, the Orile Police Station was set ablaze.

One Bolaji, who witnessed the incident, accused the police of pulling the trigger that killed three of the protesters, adding that two stations were burnt due to the incident.

He said, “Around 9am, when the protesters got to the Orile Police Station, they were chanting #EndSARS and that they don’t want the Divisional Police Officer, popularly known as Iya Rainbow, to head the station again. There was a confrontation between the DPO and the people at the station.

“Annoyed by the development, the people clashed with the policemen and they went to get petrol and set the station ablaze. When the people at Pako area got to know that someone has been shot dead at Orile, it propelled them to burn the station at Pako. The military personnel have brought normalcy in the area. I witnessed everything when the police opened fire, the people dispersed and it was that opportunity that the DPO used in escaping.”

It was learnt that while three protesters were shot head by the police, two policemen died in a reprisal.

However, one Ugo Njoku,  who chronicled the Orile attack on Whatsapp, gave the total number of deaths recorded to be five, adding that “DPO ordered police officers to shoot directly at the protesters. Three people fall dead while several others sustained injuries and are rushed to hospital…The two officers killed are the trigger-happy policemen that shot at the protesters.”

Blackout in Lekki tollgate as soldiers shoot seven protesters dead, many injured

In another development in the Lekki area of the state, armed soldiers allegedly shot sporadically at the #EndSARS protesters, killing no fewer than seven persons in the process.

Many protesters were said to have sustained bullet wounds as a result of the attack that suddenly came just after the billboard on the tollgate and the streetlights around the premises were switched off. It was learnt that the CCTV was also disconnected.

A video recorded by an eyewitness, which was reposted on Instablog9ja, indicated that seven protesters were killed during the attack.

“They have killed more than seven people that I have seen with my eyes. They were killed with real bullets and not even rubber bullets,” the recorder of the footage said.

Prior to the blackout, it was learnt that two soldiers were at the tollgate from the Lekki axis to pledge their support for the protest by the #EndSARS campaigners.

Few minutes after the soldiers came, it was learnt that there was a sudden blackout as a group of armed soldiers advancing from the Ozumba Mbadiwe axis started shooting sporadically into the air and at the protesters.

An eyewitness, Yekini Adedeji, said all the protesters around the tollgate scampered for safety, adding that the soldiers had taken over the premises.

“The soldiers are shooting sporadically, they put off the street light and the billboard to make the place to be in total darkness. They started shooting up but they shot at the protesters as well and I have seen two people that have sustained bullet wounds.

“At first, when the soldiers started shooting, the protesters summoned courage and refused to move. So, they sat on the floor and raised up their flag but along the line, two of the protesters were shot and people started running. There are no protesters at the tollgate and the soldiers have taken over the tollgate. I saw the soldiers myself.

Two killed, many injured as hoodlums clash in Ketu

In another development, two people were killed during a clash involving Ikosi Boys and Market Boys in the Ketu area of Lagos State on Monday.

As at 8am on Tuesday, The PUNCH  saw the hoodlums attacking one another with bottles, stones and other harmful objects around the pedestrian bridge, close to the police station in Ketu.

Motorists and commuters were stranded as vehicular movements were on hold due to the crisis that reportedly started on Monday evening.

It was gathered that the boys were protesting when an altercation reportedly broke out amongst them around 6pm.

The altercation was said to have degenerated into a crisis that sent shivers down the spines of residents and business owners in the area.

Footage of a video trending online showed three victims lying on the street in a pool of their blood.

As seen in the footage, the skull of two of the victims had been broken as their brains were scattered on the street. One of the victims was also seen gasping for breath due to the injuries he sustained during the clash.

People were also seen in the footage lamenting and mourning the circumstances surrounding the death of the victims.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi said, “A fight happened in Ketu but we are not aware that there was any mortality. No death was known to the police.”

Six killed, many injured as hoodlums clash Ikorodu

In another development, no fewer than six persons were killed in the Ogolonto and Garage area of Ikorodu, Lagos.

In Ogolonto, it was learnt that the clash happened after a member of the National Union of Road Transport Worker, purchased a piece of land and settled the wrong people.

An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Adesegun, said during the fight, the boys burgled peoples’ shops, stopped a truck loaded with bottles, which they used in attacking themselves.

He said, “Ogolonto Boys and Idiroko Boys were involved in the clash, and what happened was that one of the leaders of the NURTW Ikorodu settled some people with N2m after purchasing land and made the announcement during the protest. That was when the fight started and about three people were killed on Saturday but the fight started on Friday. The fight was amongst the union members but it turned into a street fight and lots of people were injured.”

It was gathered that three people died in the incident.

In a similar development, three persons were killed during another clash involving hoodlums and cultists in the Garage and Benson areas of Ikorodu.

An eyewitness, Biodun Agbabiaka, said, “On Tuesday, some people had to volunteer themselves to be on the lookout for people robbing members of the public of their valuables after the protest and that was how it turned into a territorial clash, involving cult members.

“As I speak to you, two persons were killed at Garage and one person was killed at Benson and the protesters are not among those that were killed.”

Punch