The #EndSARS campaign, which began on social media on Oct. 4, gave Nigerians a gleam of hope about the reawakening of a new ‘Nigeria’, rid of police brutality, bad governance, nepotism amongst others.
Popular celebrities and activists also lent their voices as they showed their solidarity to the #EndSARS movement.
In a twist of event, sponsored hoodlums infiltrated the peaceful protest, causing bodily harm and mayhem in different parts of the country.
In other to keep the relative peace in the country, some state governors placed a curfew in their states, human and vehicular movements, with the exemption of essential workers. Information Nigeria recalls that Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also placed curfew in the state.
However, unrest escalated in some parts of the country following reports of alleged shooting of the demonstrators who gathered at the Lekki Tollgate, Admiralty circle, Lagos on Tuesday night.
The protesters had defied the curfew put in place by the Lagos state governor to make their demands known.
Nationwide looting and vandalization of government and private properties across the country by hoodlums, who hijacked the peaceful #EndSARS protests followed.
Warehouses filled with food supplies and other items were discovered and ransacked by huge crowds in Jos, Abuja, Calabar, Illorin, Adamawa and Ekiti, and Lagos.
Government officials were accused of hoarding COVID-19 palliatives meant for distribution during the lockdowns earlier this year.
Nigerian were shocked to find relief items stored in private homes of some politicians.
The palace of the Oba of Lagos, Riliwan Akiolu was burgled and his staff of office, personal effects, amongst other items carted away by hoodlums.
Police stations were set ablaze, supermarkets and stores looted and vehicles were destroyed by thugs.
Popular media house, Television Continental (TVC) station in the Ikosi-Ketu area of Lagos state was razed to the ground by hoodlums who attacked the building.
The Nation Newspaper head office in Mushin was also not spared as it was burned down.
Videos of the attacks were circulated by some residents on social media.
The media houses were rumoured to be owned by the former governor of Lagos state and leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
On Saturday, Mohammed Adamu, inspector general of police, ordered the “immediate mobilisation” of all police resources to put an end to the violence.
But, like Jack Bauer, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works and Housing, caused a stir online after he found a hidden camera during an on-the-spot assessment at Lekki Tollgate on Sunday.
Fashola said the device was placed there by people with ulterior motives at the scene.
Nigerians swiftly took to Twitter and other social media platforms to react to the discovery of the camera by the Minister of Works and Housing.
A video circulating online sees the minister carefully picking up the camera with the aid of a piece of black cloth and it has since garnered mixed reactions among web users.
Some of the reactions were quite comical as some tweeps took it upon themselves to give the minister a couple of nicknames such as ‘Forensic Fash’, ‘Sherlock Holmes’, ‘Jack Bauer’ and ‘Detective Fashola’.
Many believed Fashola had been roped into the web of lies and they urged him not to be a part of the foolery.
Some web users asked how it was possible for him to conveniently find the item after several clean-ups had been carried out by the Lagos State Waste Management Agency and other volunteers prior to his visit.
The incident has now given birth to a new challenge, #FasholaChallenge.
Netizens are now mocking the minister as they reenact the camera picking stunt.
via: Information Nigeria
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