Since the alleged killings of ENDSARS protesters at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State by soldiers on Tuesday, October 20, 2020, many stories have been woven around the dastardly act turning the matter to what looks like a circus-like show.
It would have been a forgotten matter and wounds would have turned to scars by now, but the military kept on opening the sores, making the ulcers difficult for healing.
Background
The protesters had squatted at the location for two weeks, shutting down the toll gate in a peaceful protest of police brutality, while demanding the scrapping of the notorious unit of the Police, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), and a number of reforms in the Police Force.
Monday, October 19, Lagos State Government had issued a 24-hour curfew after violence broke out in several locations in the state, as hoodlums hijacked the protest to burn down police stations, assault innocent citizens and destroy properties.
Shortly after the massacre, Obianuju Catherine Udeh, popularly known as DJ Switch, who shared live videos on Instagram from the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of October 20, when soldiers shot at peaceful #EndSARS protesters announced that she joined in removing more than 15 corpses.
The killings attracted global condemnations and subsequent arson and looting of private and public properties in various parts of the country by hoodlums.
Denials by Nigerian Army
On October 21, the Nigerian Army denied deploying soldiers to attack #EndSARS protesters who assembled at the Lekki Toll Plaza.
Following multiple reports of rounds of gunshots aimed at #EndSARS protesters last night at the toll gate, the Nigerian Army via its official Twitter handle posted series of screenshots of such reports and tagged them “FAKE NEWS.”
It stated that the alleged massacre of protesters at Lekki Toll Plaza is untrue, unfounded, and aimed at causing anarchy in the country and that their presence was requested by the Lagos State Government to restore normalcy.
In a statement by Major Osoba Olaniyi, the Acting Deputy Director, 81 Division Army Public Relations, the Army said: “The attention of Headquarters 81 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to a viral video on social media in which it was alleged that civilian protesters were massacred by soldiers at Lekki Toll Plaza.
“This allegation is untrue, unfounded and aimed at causing anarchy in the country. At no time did soldiers of the Nigerian Army open fire on any civilian.”
The Army said that the 81st Division never got involved in the #EndSARS protests. However, Lagos State called the Army after a 24-hour curfew was imposed due to reports of Police stations being burnt.
“From the onset of the ENDSARS protest, there was no time personnel of 81 Division Nigerian Army Lagos were involved. However, the decision to call in the military was taken by the Lagos State Government (LASG) after a 24 hours curfew was imposed.
“This was as a result of the violence which led to several police stations being burnt, policemen killed, suspects in police custody released and weapons carted away.
“The situation was fast degenerating into anarchy. It was at this point that LASG requested for the military to intervene in order to restore normalcy. The intervention of the military followed all laid down procedures for Internal Security operations and all the soldiers involved acted within the confines of the Rules of Engagement (ROE) for Internal Security operations,” the statement read.
The Army insisted that they did not shoot any civilian and that there is glaring and convincing evidence to attest to this fact. They maintained that the allegations of shootings is the “hand work of mischief makers who will stop at nothing to tarnish the image of the Nigerian Army.”
Before this time, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had flown a kite that “forces beyond our direct control” struck and killed the protesters at the toll gate.
Nigerian Army Admits firing blank ammunition
But in a dramatic manner on Saturday, November 14, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, the Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, came and took all the denials and cock-bull-stories from the revered institution to tatters.
Taiwo fingered the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, as the person who ordered the deployment of soldiers undergoing training at military schools in Lagos to the Lekki Toll Gate on the black Tuesday night.
He testified at the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry currently investigating the shooting of the unarmed protesters by soldiers deployed to enforce the curfew imposed on the state by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“The 81 Division was short of troops and the Chief of Army Staff gave an extraordinary order that all Army schools should be shut down and everybody should be brought to the operation.”
He added that a day before the incident, he had taught the trainee soldiers about internal security techniques since he is also an examiner at the Nigerian Army Intelligence, and wondered that it was “unbelievable that only a day after learning the rules, they were going for an operation in internal security” and did not put into practice what he taught them.
Popular Nigerian Activist Queries Army’s Claims
Meanwhile, Aisha Yesufu, popular activist and End SARS promoter has reacted to a statement by the Nigerian Army that no live ammunition was fired at protesters at Lekki toll gate.
According to Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, soldiers fired blank ammunition into the air to disperse protesters, adding that there would have been more casualties if the 600m live ammunition normally used by the military were used on the End SARS protesters.
Aisha queried the authenticity of the Army’s report, wondering how the ‘blank ammunition’ killed protesters.
Aisha on her Twitter page wrote: “Who summoned the military that attacked us on the 13th of October 2020?
“Does that mean our @HQNigerianArmy is so cheap and unprofessional that they can be summoned without proper documentation? What the freaking hell!”
It appears that the Nigerian Army has a snag for flip-flopping on killings and brutality of civilians. Up till now, the military has not owned up the massacre in Odi Town, Bayelsa State and the Zaki Biam killings in which many innocent persons were mowed down in cold blood.
The wounds will refuse to heal unless the army end the massacre, pay compensation to the bereaved families and go to God for penance to appease the senseless killings of civilians.
