There is black soot everywhere and the current picture of Nigeria's most populous, thrumming city looks straight out of Syria.

After the Lagos state government imposed a curfew on the city in the wake of the #EndSARS protests, hoodlums and arsonists hit the streets, burning everything in sight, in what appeared to be coordinated attacks.

Government-owned mass transit buses were also torched. A chunk of the city has been reduced to rubble.

The destruction was on an unprecedented scale. Businesses weren't spared either--they were vandalised and looted.

The palace of the Oba of Lagos was also torn apart and desecrated.

"Our beautiful city has seen a level of destruction almost akin to a war zone. It was a shocking and very sad spectacle. Our land took a beating and this hurts. Historical buildings, cultural centres, private malls, government holdings and private businesses were pillaged and burnt," says Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

"This is not the Lagos we know. I am the 15th governor of the state and Lagos has never witnessed this level of destruction. The oldest court in Nigeria was razed down. Many properties were completely destroyed. It is time to heal ourselves and time to heal Lagos."

Jubril Gawat, who is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor of Lagos State on New Media, joined his boss on an on-the-spot assessment tour of the wreckage on Friday, October 23, and sent us the following images afterwards....