One person has been confirmed dead as the #EndSARS protest continued in Apapa on Tuesday morning, paralysing port activities at the Lagos and Tin Can Island Ports.
Maritime workers including clearing agents and truck drivers had joined dozens of other port users to demand an end to continued harassment and extortion by police and other security operatives.
The protest, which was staged at the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa, Tin Can Island Port and in front of Eleganza Plaza on Wharf Road, Apapa, left many port users stranded as the protesters blocked the entrance to the port, preventing both human and vehicular movement.
The protest, however, turned violent when suspected hoodlums besieged the Tin Can Island Port gate throwing stones and other dangerous items leaving one person dead and many injured.
#EndSARS protesters at the Apapa Port Complex on Tuesday.
Tin Can Island Port Manager, Abubakar Bello, who confirmed the development to SHIPS & PORTS, said the hoodlums invaded the port gate throwing stones and destroying valuables in the process.
He said, “I can confirm that one person was killed in the protest. I have just seen the corpse. Some hoodlums invaded the port and they were throwing stones. They vandalised some doors and windows and so many of our security posts and gates were affected.”
One of the protesters, Thompson Olajide, who spoke with SHIPS & PORTS, said they are not only demanding an end to police extortion, but also the scrapping of the anti-smuggling unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Customs police and the monitoring unit created by Tin Can Customs command.
He said, “Part of our demands is an end to FOU, Strike Force and the monitoring team created by the Controller of the Tin can Island command. You collect value for a vehicle from the valuation unit, you go ahead and make the payment yet someone else will issue another Debit Note (DN) that what valuation gave you is not proper. That is why we are calling for the scrapping of the monitoring seat. It is not just about police brutality alone.”