A Nigerian cop was caught shooting a police-brutality protester in the back — then dragging his limp body down the street as more gunfire rang out, according to distressing video footage.
The video, verified by Reuters, shows a handful of heavily armed officers surrounding a couple of protesters in Nigeria’s largest city Lagos on Wednesday, kicking at least one of them as he lay on the ground.
The camera jerks away at the sound of a loud gunshot — with the officer firing into the man’s back, according to the wire service.
The injured man is then dragged down the street, initially looking to be struggling — before finally going completely limp as further gunshots ring out around them.
It was not immediately clear if the protester survived.
Amnesty International said the Nigerian army and police killed at least 12 peaceful protesters in Lagos, with violent clashes continuing in the city of 14 million.
Protesters reacted in anger when governor Obajide Sanwo-Olu denied any deaths — claiming only warning shots were fired into the air — with a mob torching his family home, according to local reports.
The unrest continued Thursday, with plumes of smoke seen rising from Lagos’ Ikoyi Correctional Center and gunfire yet again heard in the city’s streets. Video also showed smoke rising from a fire in a mall.
The protests began two weeks ago after a video circulated showing a man being beaten, apparently by police officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS.
In response, the government announced it would ban the anti-robbery squad, which for several years human rights groups have blamed for widespread abuses, including torture and killings.
Unsatisfied, the demonstrators are demanding an end to abuse, and respect for human rights, in all parts of the police force. The protests have stopped traffic in Lagos, the capital Abuja and many other large cities in Nigeria, a country of 196 million people.
With Post wires