Lekki Massacre: Gov Sanwo-Olu Blames ‘Forces Beyond Our Direct Control’

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has blamed what he called ‘forces beyond our direct control’ for the massacre of about 49 unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll gate on Tuesday night. 

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who spoke via his official Twitter account on Wednesday morning, expressed regret over the incident. 

The governor, however, did not confirm or deny reports that the shootings were carried out by men of the Nigerian Army. 

In his words, “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 at 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 Gen Hospital, 11 at Reddington and 4 at Vedic; with mild to moderate levels of injuries while 2 are receiving intensive medical 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 recognize the buck stops at my table 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 broadcast in the morning.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has denied reports linking its soldiers to last night’s shooting at Lekki despite videos showing some heavily-armed men in army uniforms arriving at the scene of the incident.