EndSARS: Sanwo-Olu begs Lagos protesters to take a break on Tuesday

Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to protesters in Lagos to pause demonstrations to ease tension in the state.

The governor made this appeal after he addressed some protesters who blocked the Lekk-Epe toll gate on Monday, October 12, 2020 to demand an end to police brutality.

Dozens of Nigerians across the country have since last week been protesting against the extra-judicial activities of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) of the Nigeria Police Force.

An official announcement of the dissolution of the unit by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Sunday, October 11, did not stop protesters from marching again on Monday to demand comprehensive reform of the Force.

#EndSARS protesters are not satisfied with the efforts of the authorities on comprehensive police reform [Pulse] Pulse Nigeria

Monday's demonstrations turned bloody in Lagos as a passerby at one of the protests in the Surulere area of the state was killed, allegedly by police officers who fired live rounds to disperse the crowd.

The Lagos State Police Command countered the claims and instead claimed that three officers were shot by armed protesters whom were also blamed for the death of the yet-to-be-identified passerby.

The Surulere demonstration was marked by violent arrests of protesters made by officers, and many other protesters sustaining injuries.

Sanwo-Olu told the toll gate protesters that he was fully in support of their agitation and would table it before President Muhammadu Buhari when the two meet on Tuesday.

Taking to his Twitter account on Monday evening, he said citizens must never be denied the right to protest and their voices must be heard.

However, he appealed that they don't take to the streets on Tuesday so that all parties involved can cool off and prevent further escalation.

"I want to appeal to the protesters to take a break from protesting tomorrow.

"Tempers are at a highest on all sides at this time and while we work to prevent escalation, the safety of our residents is paramount," he said.

The governor said he's been informed about the crackdown in Surulere and is monitoring developments.

He called on peaceful protesters to not allow the movement be hijacked and used by people with a pre-existing vendetta.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also said he's meeting with the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, on Monday evening to ensure that live rounds are not fired at protesters.