cause of destruction of the lagos high court

aftermath of the #endsars protests

Lagos was ravaged by hoodlums in the days after the #EndSARS protest. The hoodlums, who carried out attacks in different parts of the state, seemed undisturbed by security agents, as they carried out arson, destruction of properties, and looting of valuables in the state. In what seemed to be a coordinated attack, hoodlums in Lagos State started their activities by attacking peaceful #EndSARS protesters and causing general unrest in the state which prompted the state to impose a 24-hour curfew starting on Tuesday, 20th of October, 2021. For about two weeks, Nigerian youths had taken to the streets to protest against police brutality, extrajudicial killing and extortion, and called for a reform of the Nigerian Police.

The oldest court in Nigeria, the Federal High Court at Igbosere, Lagos was razed down by hoodlums on Wednesday, 21st of October, 2020. Many case files were burnt in the fire, while others were carted away. Other valuables lost in the fire include vehicles, computers, air conditioners, refrigerators, furniture and other personal items. A personal account of events leading to the arson explains that; police prevention tactics to stop further looting of the high court led them to shoot sporadically into the air with the aim of repelling incoming hoodlums. This tactic led to the death of a Hausa petty goods trader, who was trying to pack his goods to safety when the disruption started. The death of a local person by the police actions fueled the uproar of the hoodlums and began sequence of events that led to the arson of the high court.