The Federal Government has said that there was no massacre of demonstrators during the #EndSARS protest in Lekki in Lagos.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed, who made the government’s positions known at a briefing in Abuja, said the government was satisfied with the conduct of the military and security agencies during the #EndSARS protest.
He said what is being portrayed so far was “social media massacre” or a “hoax massacre.” That it was a case of massacre without bodies.
The minister condemned CNN report on #EndSARS protest in Lekki and described it as “irresponsible journalism.” He said that CNN relied on unverified and doctored videos.
But the government said it will go ahead to regulate the social media in the country because the social media was used to guide arsonist and looters to certain properties.
He said soldiers and policemen deserve commendation for their roles during the protest.
Mohammed said: “While we await the Judicial Panel in Lagos to unravel what transpired at the Lekki Toll Gate, what we can say, based on testimonies available in the public space, is that the world may have just witnessed, for the very first time ever, a MASSACRE WITHOUT BODIES! Some have tagged it ‘social media massacre’.
“The testimony of Brig.-Gen, Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo of the Nigerian Army before the Panel was compelling, and I am sure many of you have listened to or watched it.
” The highlights, for those who may not have watched the testimony, are:
– Soldiers were deployed all over Lagos, including Lekki Toll Gate, after the other security agencies were overwhelmed on Oct. 20th 2020, upon the request of the state government.
– Before deployment, the soldiers were briefed on the Rules of Engagement, which they adhered to all through
– Soldiers at Lekki Toll Gate fired blank ammunitions into the air
– Blank ammunition cannot do any damage to the flesh, not to talk of killing anyone
– Firing live ammunition into the crowd, as some have alleged, would have led to mass killing, which never happened.