Lai Mohamed
Picnews
Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has reiterated that the Lekki Toll Gate ‘massacre’ report is fake news. He stated that five years after the incident, no families have come forward to claim that their loved ones went missing from the toll gate.
Mohammed emphasized that while people did die during the EndSARS protests in various locations, including Abuja, Lagos, and Kano, there was no massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate. He criticized CNN’s coverage, saying they relied on second-hand information and were not present at the scene.
The former minister also defended his criticism of CNN, stating that he stands by his pushback against their reporting. He argued that if a man has a goat and it doesn’t come home, he will go out and look for it, implying that if people had truly died at the toll gate, families would have come forward.
Mohammed’s comments come amidst conflicting reports about the incident. A judicial panel of inquiry found that Nigerian soldiers and police intentionally shot at anti-police brutality protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, resulting in deaths and injuries. However, the Nigerian government has denied responsibility.
The EndSARS protests, which began in October 2020, were sparked by widespread anger over police brutality, particularly abuses linked to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The protests led to clashes, property destruction, and calls for policing reforms.
