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How Buhari’s Minister, Malami Goofed About Lekki Tollgate, Said Hoodlums Wore Military Uniforms To Attack Protesters

November 16, 2021

The panel, since last year, as part of recommendations put forward during the #EndSARS protests, has heard petitions on police brutality and has also investigated the Lekki tollgate incident of October 20, 2020.

The Lagos State judicial panel inquiry on police brutality and extrajudicial killings on Monday, submitted two parts of the report on its findings to the state government.

The reports included a consolidated report on police brutality and the investigation of the Lekki incident.

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The panel, since last year, as part of recommendations put forward during the #EndSARS protests, has heard petitions on police brutality and has also investigated the Lekki tollgate incident of October 20, 2020.

Soldiers from the Nigerian Army had besieged the tollgate where protesters had gathered and fired shots in what appeared to be an attempt to disperse the peaceful demonstrators.

But just two weeks after the shooting at the Lekki tollgate, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami had claimed it was likely hoodlums wore military uniforms and not operatives from the

Nigerian Army fired at the peaceful #EndSars protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos State.

Malami had said “hoodlums” might have been hired to create a scene.[story_link align="left"]86489[/story_link]

The AGF had said, “You cannot rule out the possibility of perhaps hoodlums that set in to create a scene… could equally partake in the process."

But the Lagos panel, in its report on the Lekki incident submitted to state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, confirmed that officers of the Nigerian Army who said they were invited by the Lagos state governor, shot at and killed protesters at the Lekki tollgate.

It also concluded that the police shot at protesters and picked up bullets to cover-up.

The report read, “The Nigerian Army was invited for intervention in the State and was deployed to Lekki Toll Gate on the 20th of October 2020. At the Lekki Toll Gate, officers of the Nigerian Army shot, injured and killed unarmed helpless and defenseless protesters, without provocation or justification, while they were waving the Nigerian Flag and singing the National Anthem and the manner of assault and killing could in context be described as a massacre.

“The panel found that the Nigerian Police Force deployed its officers to the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of the 20th October, 2020 and between that night and the morning of the 21st of October, 2020, its officer shot at, assaulted and battered unarmed protesters, which led to injuries and deaths. The police officers also tried to cover up their actions by picking up bullets. [story_link align="left"]101222[/story_link]

“The panel found that there was an invitation of the Nigerian Army to Lagos State made by the Lagos State Government through the Governor before the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army deployed its soldiers to the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of the 20th of October.”

Topics
#EndSARS Scandal