Nigeria protests: Lagos residents condemn president's speech, voice concerns amid curfew

Lagos residents condemned on Friday a speech by Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari in which he called for an end to demonstrations against police brutality that turned violent when protesters were shot.

Meanwhile, gangs armed with knives and sticks blocked major roads in Lagos on Friday, with many angered by President Buhari's statement.

A highway leading to the international airport was obstructed by blockades manned by groups of young men demanding cash from motorists.

To the east of the city, in the Ibeju area of Lekki, armed men chased away police and several police stations were burned to the ground.

Violence in Africa's biggest city has escalated since Tuesday night, when a curfew was announced initially on Tuesday by Lagos governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and then extended indefinitely, and on Wednesday the army offered to deploy to help protect key business and government sites.

Thousands of Nigerians, many driven closer to poverty by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, have taken part in nationwide protests since Oct. 8 which initially focused on a police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

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