By Balogun Damilola
At least five police officers were injured on Monday as a protest against security agents turned bloody at Eleko community in Ibeju-Lekki local government of Lagos State.
YemieFash gathered that youth in the community had a face-off with police officers whom they accused of bias in enforcing the coronavirus lockdown in the community.
Bala Elkana, police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the development in an interview with YemieFash. He said 51 protesters were arrested, following police reinforcement.
Speaking with our correspondent, one of the residents who asked not to be named said while residents and other company workers in the community were forced to stay in their houses, expatriates working with Dangote Refinery were allowed to go to their places of work.
The youth in the area burnt tyres on the streets to express their anger over the alleged bias.
The protest went bloody after the arrival of police officers, as the protesters resisted “intimidation.”
Mr Elkana told this newspaper that the protesters had been dispersed and normalcy restored in the community.
He said the protesters injured five police officers and vandalised two outposts.
The military have also been deployed to help maintain normalcy in Eleko, Ibeju-Lekki.
At the moment, people are allowed to walk in the community only with their hands up.
President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja in the last four weeks. Residents have been through a roller coaster of emotions, including reported surge in robbery cases in Lagos.
It is not clear whether Mr Buhari will relax or extend the lockdown in his address already scheduled for this evening.