Lekki Shooting: Army Insists Sanwo-Olu Lied |The Source

By Adesina Soyooye

The Nigeria Army insists that the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, lied when he said he did not ask for the deployment of soldiers to the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20. For that, the Army is angry with him.

Soldiers had stormed the #EndSARS protesters in the evening of October 22, and dispersed them by shooting at them, allegedly, with live bullets,  after they had held fort for about two weeks, and grounding Lagos.

Hours after the shooting, Sanwo-Olu had visited a couple of hospitals to see the injured, and later on October 21, addressed Lagosians where he claimed that forces beyond him were  responsible for the deployment of the  soldiers.

The military had earlier issued a statement denying killing any protester, and saying the soldiers were invited by the Governor.

Not many people believed that, especially, as only the Commander-in-‘Chief, in this case, President Muhammadu Buhari, has the right to call out the Military.

But the Army, finally, hit the nail on its head when it appeared before the Lagos State Judicial  Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the Lekki incident on Saturday.

Speaking for the Army, the Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos,  Brigadier-General Ahmed Taiwo, said the Army was angry with the Governor for denying knowledge of the deployment of soldiers.

Brigadier-General Taiwo said the Governor asked for their deployment, but quickly added that the Governor was justified, and had no choice, given the situation in Lagos at the time. He said it became necessary because the Police had been overwhelmed by the protesters, and ran away.

Taiwo, also, said that nobody informed them when  the Governor extended the beginning of the curfew from 4.00pm to 9,00pm, hence their presence at Lekki before 9.00pm.

He also said the Army was not carried along by the Governor as far as the lifting of the curfew was concerned. He blamed the calling-off of the  curfew for the inability to recover looted items, especially, in the Lekki area. Otherwise, he said, most of the items looted from Shoprite and other shops could have been recovered.

Taiwo disclosed that soldiers evacuated about Two Billion Naira from banks when hoodlums embarked on arson and looting of banks in Lagos. He also denied any killings by Soldiers.

Taiwo’s submission is likely to put Sanwo-Olu in a more  embarrassing situation than he already is.

The shooting at Lekki had sparked-off violence and anger. Till date, nobody has confirmed the number of fatalities.

While the Governor says two people died in the hospital, the Youths and Civil Society Organisations claim as much as between 17 and 59. Many term it the Lekki massacre.