'Sixty-nine killed' in Nigerian anti-police brutality protests

By Ishaq Khalid

Sixty-nine people have been killed so far across Nigeria in protests against police brutality which started earlier this month, President Muhammadu Buhari's spokesman has told the BBC.

That includes 11 police officers and seven soldiers.

It is not yet clear whether the figures include protesters allegedly killed by the security forces on Tuesday in Lagos. 

The Nigerian army has denied that troops fired on the protesters that evening.

The president met with former leaders of the country to find ways of ending days of unrest sparked by the protests.

He told the meeting that his government would not fold its arms and allow criminals who’ve hijacked the protests to continue to perpetrate what he called "hooliganism". 

They acknowledged that high levels of unemployment spelt danger for the country and should be tackled head on by the government to ensure the peace and stability of the country. 

Mr Buhari said his administration was committed to meeting the demands of the protesters. 

He called for an end to the rallies, saying the message had come through loud and clear. 

The protests have drastically subsided but uneasy calm remains in several cities.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: Getty Images