Earlier this month, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, surmised it was hoodlums dressed as soldiers, not the Army that shot EndSARS protesters at Lekki toll gate.
While Dataphyte acknowledges this as a hypothesis, not an authoritative statement, the office of the AGF holds weight and sway. To that end, Dataphyte sought to set the record straight via examining the evidence.
Background
Prior to what many are calling the Lekki Massacre, Nigerians led demonstrations across the country for over a fortnight. The message was simple, EndSARS. It did, however, morph into various requests. Chief among which were an overhaul of the policing system, country reforms and gender equality. Many maintained that youths conducted themselves in an orderly fashion, even cleaning after themselves. But then the events following the curfew transpired, and the rest is as they say history.
Who ordered the military, or rather men dressed as soldiers?
Already Dataphyte noted the ragtag game of “it wasn’t me” state and federal government actors engaged in. For others, like the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, we didn’t get a response. And when we did, we still didn’t.
Rundown of Events
First, contrary to credible evidence, the Lagos state governor decried allegations of any demise. Likewise, the Nigerian Army who issued a statement on their social media accounts, crying “FAKE NEWS”.
Elsewhere in the background, the Minister of Information maintained that no one died. And as usual, cried FAKE NEWS, preaching the gospel of media regulation.
Nigerian Army: Contradictions and divergent tunes
Thereafter, things came to light. First was Sanwo Olu who initially said no one died, also alleging the incident was beyond his control, admitted to the Army’s involvement. In response, the Army, who initially decried FAKE NEWS, turned the tables on the Lagos state Governor, claiming his government invited them. However, they maintained that they did not fire any rounds.
Yet again, in a petition submitted to Lagos’ Judicial Panel, the Army said it fired blanks, not live rounds; thus contradicting investigations and a deluge of videos.
Thence, clearly it could not have been hoodlums dressed as soldiers who fired on protesters at Lekki toll gate.
Events still unfolding
Trailing the events following the shooting at Lekki and establishment of Judiciary panels of enquiry, it is easy to see no-END-to-SARS. And while work has begun on the new Special Weapons Tactical Team (SARS replacement), unveiling the incidents that led to the shooting at Lekki is far from over. So far, we’ve seen at least four instances of State and Federal actors changing tunes. And given the ongoing investigations, we may likely see more.
Victor Ndukwe is a first-class graduate of Architectural Technology from the University of Wolverhampton. Although initially a science buff, his diverse interests created a bridge into the society for media and literacy. He has editorial experience having worked as the Editor for Dubawa Fact-checking platform. His background in science also meant he had a foundation in evidenced-based research and critical thinking. He now works with a team of colleagues under Dataphyte, applying his distinct skill-set as an Editor.
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