Nigerians were in shock on Wednesday after a deadly shooting of peaceful protesters in the biggest city Lagos that Amnesty International blamed on security forces.
There was no immediate death toll from the incident on Tuesday evening in which witnesses said armed gunmen opened fire on a crowd of over 1,000 people to disperse them after a curfew was imposed to end spiralling protests over police brutality.
Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu later said one person had been killed, due to blunt force trauma to the head. He described the shooting as people protested against police brutality on Tuesday night as among the "darkest hours from our history as a people."
"This is an isolated case. We are still investigating if he was a protester," he said.
Sporadic gunshots could be still be heard in Lagos on Wednesday morning, an AFP journalist said.
Smoke was rising from the direction of Lekki toll gate, a site where soldiers had opened fire on protesters late on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear what had caused the smoke.
Mr Sanwo-Olu said 25 people were wounded, with two receiving intensive care, as local authorities vowed to investigate.
"This is the toughest night of our lives as forces beyond our direct control have moved to make dark notes in our history," Mr Sanwo-Olu said on Twitter, releasing pictures of him visiting hospitals in the early hours of Wednesday.
"I recognise the buck stops at my table and I will work with the FG (federal government) to get to the root of this unfortunate incident," he added.
Amnesty International initially said several people were killed by security forces and that they were "working on verifying" the death toll.
The Nigerian army did not issue a direct statement, but labelled reports of soldiers shooting on protesters as "fake news" on Twitter.
President Muhammadu Buhari, appealing for "understanding and calm", said on Wednesday he was committed to providing justice for victims of brutality, and that police reforms also demanded by the demonstrators were gathering pace.
His statement, disseminated by his spokesman, did not refer to the shooting at the Lekki toll gate, from where a witness saw smoke rising on Wednesday.
Anger over abuses by the police's loathed Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) erupted into widespread protests about two weeks ago, drawing thousands of people on to the streets.
#ENDSARS 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/59lrs8JnDA
— Rihanna (@rihanna) October 20, 2020
Barbados-born singer Rihanna took to Twitter to condemn SARS and said her "heart was broken for Nigeria".
She posted: "I can't bare to see this torture and brutalisation that is continuing to affect nations across our planet!
"It's such a betrayal to our citizens, they very people put in place to protect are the ones we are most afraid of being murdered by! My heart is broken for Nigeria man!"
Inyene Akpan, 26, a photographer, said more than 20 soldiers arrived at the toll gate in Lekki and opened fire. He said he saw two people being shot.
Akinbosola Ogunsanya, a third witness, said he saw around 10 people being shot. Mr Ogunsanya, who said lights went out shortly before the soldiers arrived, also said he saw soldiers remove bodies.
Another witness, Chika Dibia, said soldiers hemmed in people as they shot at them.
Mr Sanwo-Olu had announced an indefinite curfew from Tuesday afternoon across Africa's largest city after claiming the demonstrations had been hijacked by criminals.
The police chief also ordered anti-riot units to be deployed around the country
Pictures and videos showing scenes of chaos from the shooting were widely shared on social media.
"5am. We're still getting calls from people from Lekki. All through the night. Some hiding near there, some hurt, some just completely panicked," Nigerian podcaster Feyikemi Abudu, who has been actively involved in the protests, said on Twitter.
US presidential candidate Joe Biden urged the president and military "to cease the violent crackdown on protesters in Nigeria, which has already resulted in several deaths."
"The United States must stand with Nigerians who are peacefully demonstrating for police reform and seeking an end to corruption in their democracy," Mr Biden said in a statement.
"I encourage the government to engage in a good-faith dialogue with civil society to address these long-standing grievances and work together for a more just and inclusive Nigeria."
Protests have snowballed from anger over police violence to broader demands from the youth for sweeping changes in Africa's most populous nation.
The Nigerian army was due to begin a two-month national exercise on Tuesday. When the move was announced on Saturday, it denied the move was part of a security response to the demonstrations. Days earlier, the military said it was prepared to help maintain law and order.
The weeks-long protests were sparked by a video that began circulating in early October purportedly showing SARS officers shooting a man in southern Delta state. Police denied the shooting.
Nigeria, where the median age is 18, is a tinderbox of profound economic and social grievances.
Several celebrities who have supported the protesters have added their voices to calls for President Muhammadu Buhari to resign.
Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo says he is ashamed of the Nigerian government. "The Nigerian government, you guys are a shame to the world for killing your own citizens, sending military to the streets to kill unarmed protesters because they are protesting for their own rights? It's uncalled for," he said.
"You people will be remembered in history as the first government to send the military to the city to start killing their own citizens. I am ashamed of this government, we are tired of you guys and we can't take this anymore."
Mr Ighalo called on the UK government, world leaders and the United Nations to step in.
"They will keep killing if the world don't talk about this," he added.
Up until Tuesday some 18 people had died in the demonstrations as clashes were reported between protesters and assailants wearing civilian clothes.
