Nigerian governor bans protests against police brutality

The governor of Nigeria's Rivers state has banned all forms of protests in the southern state, including the ones against police brutality.

Protests continued in the country on Monday even after Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a notorious police unit accused of unlawful arrests and murder, was officially disbanded.

Governor Nyesom Wike said that there was now no need for the protests.

"Law enforcement agencies are also directed to ensure that the ban is enforced and that violators are brought to book," his spokesperson Paulinus Nsirim said in a statement posted on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/GovWike/status/1315773169719013376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1315773169719013376%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld

Amnesty International Nigeria has said the governor had no authority to ban the protests. It also wants him to be "held accountable for any violation of protesters".

On Monday, a police officer and a civilian were killed in the commercial capital, Lagos.

Eyewitnesses said there were also multiple casualties among protesters after police opened fire on them in the Surulere area of the city.

An aide to President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the use of live bullets on demonstrators.

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