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World / Africa

Gunfire heard, smoke seen rising in Nigeria's Lagos

Published: 22 Oct 2020 - 03:46 pm | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 02:27 pm
A general view of smoke arising from the Ikoyi prison that is on fire in Lagos on October 22, 2020. AFP / Sophie BOUILLON

A general view of smoke arising from the Ikoyi prison that is on fire in Lagos on October 22, 2020. AFP / Sophie BOUILLON

By Libby George | Reuters

LAGOS: Gunshots rang out in the affluent Ikoyi neighbourhood of Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos on Thursday, one witness said.

Smoke was also seen rising from the direction of Ikoyi correctional facility, a prison, the witness told Reuters.

A Reuters witness saw two trucks carrying police heading towards the prison.

The city of 20 million is under a round-the-clock curfew imposed after nearly two weeks of protests against police brutality - the West African nation's biggest wave of unrest since the end of military rule in 1999.

Several states are also under curfew and the oil-producing Delta state said it would enter a 48-hour curfew from 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Thursday.

Unrest escalated on Wednesday as groups of young men and armed police clashed in some neighbourhoods following a shooting on Tuesday night at a toll gate in the Lagos district of Lekki.