Live Lekki Shootings panel update: Army denies shooting and killing unarmed protesters

The Nigerian Army on Saturday has denied accusations that it shot and killed unarmed protesters, says army only used blank shots and fired into the air.

Brigadier-General Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo stated this in his testimony at the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS related abuses and other matters.

The Army is testifying following its invitation by the panel in the wake of the October 20 shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate.

Brigadier Ibrahim Taiwo also said that most of the businesses looted or destroyed in Lekki, Ajah, Sangotedo and nearby places were owned by people of Igbo extraction.

He said that the military were drafted in by Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

He claimed that the protest was hijacked by hoodlums and the military intervened to stop the killing of police officers as well as the looting and raping of citizens in the name of #EndSARS.

He, however, added that the killings took place all over Lagos excluding Ikoyi and Victoria Island.

Testifying before the panel, General Taiwo said, “On 20th of October 2020, Lagos State descended into anarchy

“Sanwo-Olu asked the army to intervene and that was the correct thing to do since the police had been overrun.”

Taiwo claimed that on arrival at Lekki Toll Gate, protesters were pelting stones at the army as he reinforced the point that the army used blank shots and only fired into the air.

The army representatives played videos of the incident before the Lekki incident as well as videos from the toll gate to back the position of the military.

Details later…

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