Nigerians protesting police are attacked

LAGOS, Nigeria — Widespread protests against this nation’s police have turned violent as demonstrators have been attacked by armed gangs in the streets of several cities, witnesses say.

Since the protests began more than a week ago, at least 10 people have been killed and hundreds injured, according to Amnesty International, which accuses police of using excessive force against the demonstrators.

The violence has erupted as support for the protests has come in from Nigeria’s politicians and from the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S.

Witnesses said a group of men armed with guns and machetes violently dispersed the protest early Thursday in the Ikeja neighborhood of Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city.

“Theywereshootingandattacking people with machetes, I saw them injure someone,” said Tola Afolabi, who was at the protest.

Other protesters in Lagos were attacked Wednesday by a group of young men “who came with stones, clubs, and broken bottles,” Nifemi Olatunde said.

Many demonstrators suspect the attackers were hired by police to break up the protests.

“Only an irresponsible government will hire thugs to engage peaceful protesters,” spokesman of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement.

Youthful demonstrators leading the nationwide protests are demanding an end to alleged police brutality, extrajudicial killings and extortion.

The demonstrations started last week after a video circulated online showing a young man being beaten, apparently by police in the Special Anti-robbery Squad, which is accused by human rights groups of widespread abuses.

In response to the #ENDSARS protests, the government said it would disband the unit.