By Gideon Njoku
In his first reaction to the unbelievable blood bath at the Lekki Toll Gate, Tuesday evening, October, 20, 2020,Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, blamed the tragedy on forces beyond him.
The Governor, in a series of tweets, after visiting the injured in various hospitals, described Tuesday night as tough. “This is the toughest night of our lives as Forces beyond our direct control have moved to make dark notes in our history.”
He also gave the number of the injured, and the hospital where they are being treated.
The Governor was, however, silent on the number of the injured, promising to make a broadcast Wednesday.
Soldiers had inexplicably opened fire on #EndSARS protesters Tuesday evening, killing and injuring many, even as the protesting youths waved the Nigerian flag and sang the National Anthem.
Outrage has greeted the shootings with Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of State, and former First Lady, calling on President Buhari and the the Nigeria Army to stop the killings of innocent protesters.
Many Lagosians had blamed the shootings on the Governor who, mid-day Tuesday, imposed a curfew on the state, beginning from 4.00pm. They said for a state like Lagos, with its population and transportation problems, a curfew from 4.00pm was short and impossible and a recipe for disaster.
An angry mother, in an emotional video which has gone viral, called it wicked.
The Governor was to later extend the beginning of the curfew to 9.00pm. But, even at that, the gun-toting soldiers did not wait till 9.00pm before storming the Lekki Toll Gate.
They began shooting by about 7.00pm.
Washing his hands off the Lekki incident, Sanwo-Olu said it was beyond him. He said it came from forces beyond his control. It is, however, common knowledge that no Governor has control over the Military.
Said Sanwo-Olu:
“This is the toughest night of our lives as forces beyond our direct control have moved to make dark notes in our history, but we will face it and come out stronger.
“I’ve just concluded visits to hospitals with victims of this unfortunate shooting incident in Lekki. It has taken me this long to make a statement because I have to prioritize the welfare of the victims of this very sad incident.
“There are currently 10 patients at the General Hospital, 11 at Reddington, and 4 at Vedic, with mild to moderate injuries while 2 are receiving intensive care. 3 patients have been discharged & we will continue to monitor and ensure all patients get the best care.
“As the Governor of our state, I recognise the buck stops at my people, and I will work with the FG to get to the root of this unfortunate incident and stabilise all security operations to protect the lives of our residents.
I will give a state State Broadcast in the morning.”
Said the Governor:
