TELL Magazine

Despite the order by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state for a 24-hour curfew in the state, residents have taken over the streets, blocking passages even for essential services providers. The governor had said that the curfew was intended to protect lives and properties after certain people said to be hoodlums, first launched attacks on the #endsars protesters and later turned completely wild attacking people arbitrarily and targeting public properties like police stations. Those who blocked the roads in Lagos did not seem to be able to differentiate who the essential service providers are in the society.

They simply instruct media practitioners to return home and stay indoors.

But those who mounted road-blocks were not the original protesters who had been coordinated and peaceful, they are those regarded as miscreants who also used the blockage to extort. Some of those people were seen burning tyres at strategic places.

In most places, with the exception of the government House, Alausa, Ikeja there are no security operatives to enforce the curfew.

However, after reports of attacks, by people believed to be kitted in military uniforms, on peaceful protests who had refused to stand down at the Lekki toll gate , there were attacks by yet unknown persons on government properties like the BRT Bus terminus at Ojodu/Berger, (some also said another one at the Ojota/Ketu exchange) and the Federal Road Safety Corps/ Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service office at Ojodu on Wednesday.

There were other reports of violence at the Fagba area of Iju/Ishaga, Lagos, where at least one female casualty is said to have been recorded.

Though those who were wounded at the Lekki toll gate attack are said to be receiving treatment at different hospitals in Lagos, the protesters and government appear not to have been in agreement on fatalities arising from the attack.

There are also reports of attacks on reporters and media houses like the Television Continental, TVC, a private media house and some other private buildings in the metropolis. This may have encouraged the local vigilance action, apparently to ward off the somewhat itinerant arsonists.

The local vigilance action appears to have spread to the neighbouring Ogun state, where youths block the road to vehicular movement.

Within Lagos metropolis there are reports of similar road-blocks at which weapon bearing youths demanded gate fees that are determined by them before giving passage to car owners, majority of who are essential services workers, like media and health practitioners.