#EndSARS: Army Finally Admits Shooting At Protesters

#EndSARS: Army Finally Admits Shooting At Protesters
Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo
WhatsApp
Facebook
Twitter
Telegram
LinkedIn
Print

Nigeria’s army has finally admitted that its troop did fire shots into the air to disperse a large crowd at the Lekki Toll Plaza in Lagos where several peaceful protesters were killed late in October. This is coming after many weeks of several levels of denial by the army, FG and Lagos state government. The October 20 incident at the plaza has drawn both local and international outrage and also culminated into the destruction of properties and loss of life by both protesters and security officers. Government has blamed the aftermath on hoodlums.

According to Amnesty International, at least 10 protesters were killed in the Lekki plaza shooting but the government says two people died and 20 were hospitalized. Reacting to the incident, many Nigerians have questioned the deployment of soldiers at the peaceful protest. Amnesty International issued a report in October referring to security camera footage that it said shows army vehicles leaving the Bonny Camp barracks and arriving at Lekki plaza shortly before shots were fired. It also said that army troops opened fire on protesters without provocation but the army has denied shooting at protesters.

Read Also: How Soldiers Made EndSARS Protesters To Jump Into The River

Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, told a judicial committee over the weekend that ‘Blank ammunition was fired upward to scare the hoodlums from the crowd,” but added that no protester was fired at. The crowd consisting mainly young Nigerians were singing the country’s National Anthem and waving its flags as they peacefully protested against police brutality under the hashtag #EndSARS.

Brig. Gen. Taiwo said the military was at the toll plaza at the request of the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to enforce a curfew he imposed earlier that day.

But the governor had previously said the state has no authority over the national army. He said that security camera footage showed Nigerian soldiers firing at the peaceful protesters at Lekki plaza. The army had initially maintained that its troops were not at the site of the shooting, but in late October they said soldiers had been deployed. The #EndSARS protests began amid calls for Nigeria’s government to close the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS and a much wider demand for better governance in Nigeria.

 

AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK

WhatsApp
Facebook
Twitter
Telegram
LinkedIn
Print