Some 24 hours have passed since Lekki Massacre, now federal authorities are engaged in a game of tag, who did it. But there’s one voice the nation awaits for clarification.
- On Tuesday, October 20, 2020, Nigeria committed a crime against its citizens;
- In clear and bloody extrajudicial killings, soldiers opened fire on peaceful protesters;
- Who carried out the Lekki Massacre and who are the beneficiaries?
- Nigerians await Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari to speak out.
Lagosians and Nigerians stood appalled on October 20, 2020, as they witnessed what appeared to be the Nigerian Army execute unarmed peaceful protesters at the Lekki-Epe expressway toll gate. Now the question on everyone’s mind is who sanctioned these extrajudicial killings.
With over 12 dead, countless across the globe have expressed their disappointment with the Nigerian government and offered condolences to the bereaved. And while there are reports of no casualties, several live videos, pictures, and messages suggest otherwise. Even Amnesty International contradicted these reports, saying it had credible, disturbing evidence in that regard.
The Nigerian Army, however, refuted all allegations to its involvement in the shootings, as if to say a unique set of armed assailants dressed as soldiers to commit the crime. Even more worrisome is that there has been no official statement from the federal authorities, 24 hours since the massacre.
Who carried out the Lekki Massacre and who are the beneficiaries?
Was it Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu?
One question begging for an answer is: who are those responsible for the Lekki Toll Gate attacks on innocent Nigerians? Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu? Ex-Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu? President Muhammadu Buhari? Officials at Lekki Toll Gates? Or the Nigerian Soldiers?
In a statewide broadcast on Monday, Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the state has no power to control the Nigerian Military.
Further describing the event as the ‘toughest and made dark notes in our history,’ Sanwo-Olu compelled the President to unravel the said situation. But while the statement pushed the massacre on the Buhari-led government, the Lagos governor does need to answer some questions as the Chief Security Officer of the State.
Was it Bola Tinubu, the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC)?
Likewise, Tinubu, ex-Governor of Lagos, has also denied any involvement in Tuesday’s attack. Mr Tinubu, in particular, denied ‘ownership involvement’ regarding the Lekki Toll Gate Plaza.
Howbeit, the rationale of Tinubu’s oblivion is lost on Nigerians across social media. Because as several users including Amnesty noted, the move was strategic and surreptitious. There is credible footage of personnel removing CCTV cameras from Tinubu’s Toll Gate. So as for his would-be cluelessness, Nigerians are not buying it. But the APC chieftain said he is not the Commander of the Armed Forces.
Who is the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces?
President Muhammadu Buhari holds the title of the Commander-in-Chief and citizens are expecting him to do more. All over the world, citizens are waiting to hear from the president after many hours. No official statement, no broadcast, not even a single tweet addressing the 60 youths that died from the #ENDSARS protests since last week. When President Buhari will address his own people is still a matter of time.
Elsewhere, Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, and other world leaders have condemned the attack and condoled with the families of Nigerians who lost their loved ones. All this security lapses point to the absence of transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s security apparatus; this would continue to serve as a basis for an end to security forces’ brutality.
Nigerian Army, who shot Lekki protesters?
In a now recurring theme, the Nigerian Army also denied its involvement in the massacre. So who did it? Their repudiation, however, comes despite mounting evidence speaking to the contrary. And just like the President, the authorities of the Nigerian Army are yet to issue an official statement. The army social media handler only captioned the post of news organizations as fake news. So, Nigerians will just have to add Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai to the waiting list.
The Managers of Lekki Concession Company
Also culpable for the Lekki Massacre are the management of the tollgate. Interestingly, there are reports on social media of personnel removing the security cameras before the execution. Some have also reported the lights going off, nearby billboard lights went out too. This update followed the shutdown of the company’s website by the management. Coincidence or foul play, investigations will reveal.
What are the Casualties?
While it is difficult to get an official record of deaths, news platforms estimate over 60 casualties since October 6. Tuesday’s incident also reportedly featured 25 injured protesters, per the State governor. Dataphyte’s aggregation, however, puts fatalities at over 68 in the last two weeks.
Regardless of estimates, one thing is certain, assailants (law enforcement) executed law-abiding citizens and taxpayers. Now whether the presidency addresses this, another certainty is that Nigeria also contravened against Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols. Thus, the international communities need to act swiftly and intervene to bring perpetrators to book under relevant international laws and treaties.
Till then, Nigerians must continue to ask who are the beneficiaries of the Lekki Massacre; who ordered the shooting, who perpetrated the shooting, and what are the casualty figures.