Aggrieved youths in Badagry, Lagos State, on Friday, violently protested the alleged killing of one Mr Joshua Sewuji by an unidentified policeman from the Badagry Police Division.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that protesters resorted to damaging and burning police posts and tyres on the roads to prevent easy movement around the town.
The protesting youths carried different placards some of which read: “Enough is Enough of This Police Brutality”, “We Are Tired of Police Killing People” and “No More Extortion from the Police” among others.
Some police traffic wardens were reportedly assaulted by the irate youths.
It took the timely intervention of the Nigerian Army from Topo and Ibereko Barracks to prevent the violence from escalating.
Soldiers were placed at different strategic locations in the town to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
A NAN correspondent covering the protest learnt that the incident happened near the palace of the Akran of Badagry at about 10 p.m. on Thursday (Dec. 3).
There were two different accounts of the incident which led to the death of the victim.
Mr Yemi Akande, who claimed to have witnessed to the incident, told NAN that some boys were just relaxing when some policemen came to arrest them.
“Around past 10 p.m. last night, some boys were just talking and eating when policemen on night patrol came to arrest them for no reason.
“The victim challenged them, asking to know the reason for their arrest and one of the policemen just shot the boy in stomach and he died instantly.
“As soon as they saw that he was dead, they ran away in their vehicles,” he said.
Another eyewitness account by a man who simply identified himself as Idowu said the policemen came and shot at the gathering of people.
