The Special Adviser to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has revealed the reason why the president did not mention the Lekki tollgate shootings of #EndSARS protesters.
Recall that during the President Buhari nationwide broadcast on Thursday, the president didn’t mention anything about the shooting of #ENDSARS protesters in Lekki on Tuesday night.
Many Nigerians have carpeted Buhari for not mentioning about the shootings or empathising with the victims during the much-awaited presidential broadcast, describing the ommission as deliberate and callous.
But Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, who appeared on Politics Today, a live show on Channel Televisions monitored by Newsflash247, said the President couldn’t have said anything about the shooting because it was being investigated.
He said: “The Defence Headquarters issued a statement to say that it was investigating the matter.
“Lagos State Governor has also set up a probe panel to investigate what really happened.
“So, the President couldn’t have said anything because it would be premature and presumptuous while investigation is ongoing.
“It is after investigation has been concluded that he can speak on the matter.”
Many across social media have condemned President Buhari for failing to speak on the shootings of Nigerians protesting against police brutality at Lekki plaza in Lagos on Tuesday night by the country’s military operatives.
The incident, where some youth were killed while many more sustained different degrees of injuries, had earlier been reported to have informed Buhari’s meeting with some of Nigeria’s past leaders.
The meeting, held virtually, was attended by Nigeria’s immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan; his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo; Yakubu Gowon, among others.
Mr Adesina, highlighting the issues raised at the meeting, said past leaders in attendance, including Mr Obasanjo, only praised the incumbent president and made recommendations.
“He said the speech was quite good and the country has been waiting for it. He mentioned specific things in the speech which he felt were very good. He then made his recommendation going forward, particularly in the area of economy and security,” the media aide said, dismissing the claim that people are outraged against President Buhari-led administration.
“The thing about Nigeria is that there are 200 million of us and 200 million people will not see things the same way. And each will have a right to the way it sees things.
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