A Delta Airlines Flight DL 54 from Atlanta, United States, heading to Lagos has been forced to return to America following the ongoing #EndSARS protests in Nigeria.
The aircraft first terminated its journey in Dakar, Senegal, before making its return to the JFK Airport in New York with the entire crew and passengers on board.
A source close to the airline told BusinessDay that following the 24-hour curfew imposed by the Lagos State Government with effect from 4pm of on Tuesday, Delta flights in and out of Lagos on Wednesday will be cancelled.
For the past two weeks, thousands of Nigerian youths have been on the streets demanding an end to police brutality, disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian police and comprehensive police reforms.
The protests have paralysed activities and disrupted traffic on major roads in many cities. In places where vehicular movements are not disrupted, residents battle with gridlock, especially in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power.
Nigerians had long launched a campaign online with the #EndSARS hashtag. The campaign trended across the world two weeks ago after celebrities volunteered to lead the protests against harassment and incessant killing of citizens by SARS.
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