The Lagos State Government has announced a 24-hour curfew in all parts of the state due to the ongoing #EndSARS protests.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a series of Twitter posts, 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,” the Governor added.
There have been speculations that the government could try to stop the ongoing peaceful #EndSARS protests by hiring thugs to cause mayhem and consequently, declaring curfews based on perceived violence.
True to this, on October 19, 2020, the Edo State Government imposed a 24-hour curfew across the state until further notice. The statement, which was made through Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Twitter handle and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, gave vandalism and attacks by hoodlums as reasons for the curfew.
For protests that have been peaceful, the recent imposition of curfews by state governments is worrying.
Thankfully, despite efforts by the government, security agencies, and hired thugs to disrupt #EndSARS protests across the country, social media, particularly, Twitter will serve as a strong unifying tool for continued protests against police brutality in Nigeria.