Army keeps mum as FG refutes Amnesty’s report on Lekki shootings

A protester holds up a home-made Nigerian flag with the date October 20, 2020 written on it at a rally outside the Nigerian High Commission in central London on October 25, 2020, in support of protesters in Nigeria demonstrating against police brutality. - Peaceful demonstrations against police brutality erupted in Nigeria on October 8 and quickly snowballed into one of the biggest challenges to the ruling elite in decades. Chaos spiralled after security forces on October 20 opened fire on peaceful demonstrators in the centre of Lagos, unleashing days of rioting across Africa's biggest city. Amnesty International has said at least 12 protesters were shot dead by the army and police in Lagos on October 20, and a total of 56 people have died since the demonstrations began. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

Amnesty International Photo: amnestyusa.
The Nigerian Army, yesterday, kept sealed lips over Amnesty International’s report in which it indicated the military and warned the Federal Government against covering up the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, shootings during the #EndSARS protests.

Insisting that the military officers who shot at the protesters must be brought to justice, the global watchdog said there was evidence that soldiers from Bonny Camp were responsible for the shootings at the Lekki Phase One Tollgate in Lagos on that Tuesday.

Amnesty International said its call became necessary because the government usually sweep incidents of such magnitude under the carpet, citing the killings of Shi’ites in Zaria, Kaduna State in 2016.

When The Guardian contacted the Army authorities to react to the allegations, Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, declined comment, adding that the army was under Federal Government’s instruction not to react to the issue.

The presidency alleged that Amnesty International skewed its report on the Lekki incident, pointing out that the global body was crying more than the bereaved, as it could not have more facts about happenings in Nigeria than the government headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Amnesty report had confirmed that the Nigerian Army and police killed 12 protesters in Lekki and Alausa, where thousands were protesting police brutality through the #EndSars movement.

The development followed President Buhari’s directive to his ministers to relocate to their home states to douse tensions created by the #EndSARS protests and the violence that ensued.

But President Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who spoke on Channels Television yesterday, refuted Amnesty International’s reports.

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