The Lagos State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state effective 4pm Tuesday (today).
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this in a statement while lamenting that the protests against police brutality and extrajudicial killings had morphed into violence.
“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,” the Governor said.
The #EndSARS protests rocking the country have continued for almost two weeks with youths calling for a lasting reform of the Nigeria Police Force.
All entreaties by politicians and business leaders for the youths to leave the streets failed as they block major highways, thereby, causing gridlock and affecting economic activities.
Suspected hoodlums had also hijacked the #EndSARS campaign in some cities, wreaked havoc on citizens and vandalised public assets in Lagos, Benin, Abuja, amongst other major cities.