In the light of the recent revelation by Cable News Network (CNN), on the Lekki Tollgate shooting which occurred on October 20, 2020, the Nigerian government has issued a statement discrediting the report as a poor piece of journalistic work. The report has reignited arguments over claims of killings by the military and counter-claims.
The report is a pungent assessment of the #EndSARS protest which drew global attention to the horrors of police abuse in Nigeria and the roles the military and police played in shutting down the protest through hideous means.
Many Nigerians have lauded CNN for carrying out its investigation to uncover the truth about the events of October 20, 2020. The news network had interviewed key figures in the protest such as musician Falz who was interviewed by Christine Amanpour, and DJ Switch who was at the scene on the night of the shooting and live-streamed the horrific incident which occurred that night, she was interviewed by Becky Anderson.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed while reacting to the CNN report castigated the international media outlet as reinforcing the disinformation that is been circulated. The news network maintains that its reporting was carefully and meticulously researched, and it stands by it.
The federal government directed state governments to set up States panel of Inquiry to conduct hearings and investigate claims by alleged victims of SARS abuse. The inquiries are ongoing in 26 states across the country.
Top seven things to know about the report:
CNN Disproves Nigerian Army’s Claims of Not Firing into The Crowd
The international news outlet released an over six minutes long video which captured the now-infamous military incursion on a peaceful protest by unarmed youths, who held up the green and white flag, chanting the country’s anthem at the Lekki tollgate. The video shows soldiers shooting toward the crowd, thereby disproving claims by the Nigerian Army that its men fired blanks into the air.
CNN Report Links Bullets Found at Scene of Shooting to Serbia
CNN stated that it verified the bullet casings in the video were fired from live ammunition, it further stated that the bullets were of mixed origin, some were Serbian. A bullet casing dated 2005 was analyzed in the video, Senior International Correspondent, Nima Elbagir, stated that “Nigerian military sources verified to CNN that the ammunitions are currently in use by Nigeria’s army. The network was able to procure Serbian export document proving that Nigeria purchased weaponry from Serbia for almost every year, between 2005 and 2016”.
Nigerian Government Reacts to CNN’s Report
CNN Stands by Its Report
Nigeria Army Admits to Taking Live Rounds To #EndSARS Protest
The Nigerian Army has admitted that its men took live rounds to the Lekki Tollgate protest ground. This revelation coincides with the CNN investigation report, which linked bullet casings found at the Lekki tollgate as the same currently in the weaponry of the Nigerian military.
The admission was made by Ibrahim Taiwo, commander of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, he stated that the live bullets were taken as precaution, but were not used against the protesters at Lekki tollgate.
Missing Corpse
While the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu later admitted that two lives were lost as a result of the shooting by soldiers of the Nigerian Army, the federal government is yet to accept that unarmed protesters were shot and, in some instances, killed by soldiers.
The federal government claims there was no massacre at Lekki tollgate, rather, only social media massacre. In footage obtained by CNN, the corpse of a young man named Victor Sunday was seen wrapped with the Nigerian flag, the news network stated that the data in the footage showed it was filmed at 1: 04am at Lekki tollgate, a family member disclosed he received a phone call informing him of his brother’s death around the same time. This is one of the over a dozen cases of persons whose corpse is yet to be found.
Waiting Time
CNN’s report has put pressure on the military to revise its story one more time. The military had in the early stage of outcry denied being at the Lekki Tollgate, it later changed its claim after the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu admitted during an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson that the shooting was done by men who appeared to be Nigerian soldiers.
The judicial panel is still conducting hearing and observers are anxious to find out what the outcome of the panel will be in the light of this CNN investigation. Will the Nigerian Army be found to have violated the fundamental rights of Nigerians or upholding the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
