The Nigerian Government has dismissed CNN’s report of massacre of #ENDSARS protesters on October 20 by security agents, describing the incident as ‘massacre without bodies’
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said this at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
He described the report, which has gone viral, as a piece of “irresponsible journalism,” adding that what is being portrayed so far was “social media massacre” or a “hoax massacre.”
The government insisted that there were no mass killings at the Lekki tollgate in the wake of the #EndSARS protests contrary to the general belief.
He asked international community not to be misled by posts on social media to impose sanctions on Nigeria.
Mohammed said CNN’s report was a case of massacre without bodies.
He declared that those who alleged massacre at the toll gate only succeeded in misleading the world.
He said the government was awaiting the outcome of the panel investigating the matter, adding “we can say that the world has just witnessed a massacre without bodies” in Lekki.
Nigerian youths embarked on #EndSARS protests to vent their anger against the brutality of a notorious unit created to tackle violent crimes including armed robbery, kidnapping and banditry. The unit soon morphed into a murderous squad, with rampant cases of killings, extortion, and torture.
The protest turned bloody on the night of October 20, 2020, when men in military attire opened fire on the unarmed protesters, who had occupied the Lekki Tollgate, in Lagos.
CNN claims in the report that some families had confirmed that their members were at the scene of the shooting that night, and that such persons had not been seen since then.
CNN shows in the report bodies of some people drenched in blood and wrapped Nigerian flag stained in blood. It also claims that it has satellite images showing when the troops that shot at the protesters left their base in Victoria Island, and also the caliber and country of origin of the bullets used by the soldiers.
Mohammed however insisted that the military did not shoot at protesters at the toll gate.
Mohammed asked anyone with contrary proofs to make them available to the panel investigating the matter.
He declared that government was satisfied with the way security agencies handled the protests.
He described CNN’s report on the Lekki incident, describing it as “blatantly irresponsible.”
