Amnesty International’s Report On Lekki Shooting Wrong—Presidency

The Presidency on Thursday faulted the report of Amnesty International on the Lekki Toll Gate Shooting, stating that the Global Watchdog’s assessment on what happened at the protest ground on the night of October 20 was wrong.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme,

Amnesty International had asked the Federal Government not to cover up the shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate during the #EndSARS protests but bring to justice those involved.

The group had in a statement signed by Country Director, Osai Ojigho, said: “What happened at Lekki Toll Gate has all the traits of the Nigerian authorities’ pattern of a cover-up whenever their defence and security forces commit unlawful killings.

“The initial denials of the involvement of soldiers in the shooting was followed by the shameful denial of the loss of lives as a result of the military’s attack against the protests.

“Many people are still missing since the day of the incident, and credible evidence shows that the military prevented ambulances from reaching the severely injured in the aftermath.

“One week on, the Nigerian authorities still have many questions to answer: who ordered the use of lethal force on peaceful protesters? Why were CCTV cameras on the scene dismantled in advance? And who ordered electricity being turned off minutes before the military opened fire on protesters?

But Adesina, said there is no way that Amnesty International could have more information about the country than the Presidency which has a clear view of things happening in the country.

Adesina said the looting and rioting were not caused by the military shootings because there was already violence before the Lekki incident.

He told the presenters, “You are not quite correct. You are falling for the narrative of Amnesty International. And Amnesty is wrong. Anarchy had broken loose before even Lekki.

“The prisons in Benin and Oko had been broken open before Lekki. Orile police station had been burnt before Lekki.

“Many policemen had been burnt before Lekki. So, you cannot say it was Lekki that precipitated all those things. Look at the timelines, look at when all those things. You will discover that it had happened before Lekki. So, you are falling for the gambit of Amnesty International.

“Amnesty International does not have all the facts, they don’t run this country, they shouldn’t know beyond what they have been told. They shouldn’t know more than you and I should know as media people as watchers of developments.”

Adesina alleged that the global watchdog had been known to always make unsubstantiated reports about Nigeria.

ENDS