(CNN)The governor of Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos imposed a state-wide curfew and deployed riot police on Tuesday in response to growing protests over police brutality in the country.
"Dear Lagosians, I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful #EndSARS protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society," Babajide Sanwo-Olu wrote in a tweet as he announced the 4 p.m. (local time) curfew for 24 hours.
Demonstrators have taken part in daily protests across the country for nearly two weeks over widespread claims of kidnapping, harassment and extortion by a police unit know as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Photos: Nigerians protest police brutality
Police fire tear gas at protesters in Abuja, Nigeria, on Tuesday, October 20.
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People hold banners and flags as they protest in Lagos, Nigeria, on October 20.
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Protesters gather outside the Alausa Secretariat in Ikeja, Nigeria, on October 20.
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Protesters hold hands in front of police officers during a peaceful demonstration at the Alausa Secretariat.
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Protesters climb a telecommunications tower during a demonstration in Abuja on Monday, October 19.
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People protest from a pedestrian bridge in Lagos on Thursday, October 15.
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Demonstrators gesture during a protest in Lagos on October 14.
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Protesters lie on the road along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
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A protester holds a sign during a rally in Lagos on October 14.
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Demonstrators block a major road in Lagos on October 14.
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A man waves the Nigerian national flag during a Lagos protest on October 13.
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A protester displays a placard in Ikeja on October 13.
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Demonstrators rally on October 13.
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People protest from a car in Ikeja on October 13.
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Demonstrators talk to a police officer during a protest in Lagos on October 12.
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Demonstrators block the Lekki toll plaza in Lagos on October 12.
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A protester holds up a sign near a government house in Ikeja on October 9.
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Only essential service providers and first responders will be allowed on the streets of Lagos, which has an estimated population of more than 20 million people.
The Inspector-General of Nigeria's Police later ordered the immediate nationwide deployment of anti-riot police officers "to protect lives and property of all Nigerians and secure critical national infrastructure across the country," according to a tweet from the Nigerian Police Force on Tuesday evening.
On Monday, the state's government said in a tweet that it was closing all Lagos schools, urging students to learn using radio, television and online media similar to how studies took place during the Covid-19 lockdown.
SARS was disbanded on October 11 and a new police unit to replace it will be trained by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Reuters reported Monday. Protesters are demanding further protections against the police, including independent oversight and psychological evaluation of officers.
People hold banners as they demonstrate on the street to protest against police brutality in Lagos, Nigeria, Saturday Oct. 17, 2020.
Amnesty International said in a tweet on Tuesday that "thugs and sponsored hoodlums" are attacking peaceful protestors across Nigeria. The current death toll is not known, but death and severe injuries have been reported since the weekend.
A 17-year-old died in police custody on Monday in Kano, a city in the north of the country, after allegedly being tortured, said the human rights group. Many protestors and journalists were assaulted by police and thugs in the capital Abuja on the same day. Videos on social media show dozens of cars belonging to protestors burning and Amnesty International said three people died.
Other videos show a mass breakout of hundreds of prisoners from the Benin Correctional Center in Edo state in southern Nigeria. It is uncertain who is to blame for the breakout, with protestors claiming it was staged by police. The Nigeria Police Force said in a tweet that protestors carted away arms and ammunition from the armory before freeing suspects in custody and setting the facilities alight.
Edo state governor Godwin Obaseki imposed a curfew on Monday, tweeting about "disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on private individuals and institutions by hoodlums in the guise of #EndSARS protesters."
