#LekkiTollGate: Five Months After, Nigerians Ask: ‘Who Ordered #LekkiMassacre?’

By on 0

 


Five months after operatives of the Nigerian Army stormed the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos and opened fire on the peaceful #EndSARS protesters, Nigerians are demanding answers.

 

The protesters who were demanding an end to police brutality and good governance in the country had converged at the toll gate before being shot by armed security personnel on October 20, 2020.

 

Several are feared killed, while many others sustained gunshot wounds.

 

Following the incident, the National Economic Council (NEC) which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chairs, had unanimously agreed to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to address the cases of victims of police brutality and compensate their families.

 

The panel was inaugurated by state governors across the country with members given a six-month period to function and forward its recommendations to the state governments.

 

However Nigerians seem not to be pleased that five months after the nation experienced what could be termed as a ‘Black Tuesday’, the authorities are yet to fish out the security operatives who shot at the innocent protesters.

 

In addition, they are demanding answers as to who ordered the shootings as well as the arraignment and prosecution of the military personnel.


 On Saturday, using the hash tag #LekkiMassacre, the young Nigerians are asking why nobody has been prosecuted for the murder of innocent protesters whose only crime was seeking a livable country.

 

“The person who ordered the #LekkiMassacre is a Nigerian like us. He still breathes oxygen like us. He still receives love from his family, yet he terminated the future of scores of Nigerian youths. It has been 5months and it will remain evergreen in our hearts,” a Twitter user wrote.


One of the social media users, SAMSON OF AFRICA, lamented that 150 days have gone by with the perpetrators of the Lekki massacre yet to be arrested.

 

“150 days gone and yet the perpetrators of #LekkiMassacre has not been arrested. Who ordered the shootings of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20th October 2020?” he questioned.

The Lagos state government initially denied that anyone died in the October 20, 2020 shooting, only to admit two deaths later. An extensive investigation conducted by FIJ, however, revealed that well over 20 people atthe protest scene died after sustaining diverse degrees of bullet injury.

 

As more evidence confirming that the soldiers shot at protesters at Lekki Toll Gate resurfaced, the Nigerian Army pulled out of the investigative panel set up to look into the incident. The Lagos Judicial Panel Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Lekki Toll Gate Incident also suffered a credibility blow after Rinu Oduala, one of the youth representatives and arrow head in the protest, renounced her membership. Rinu cited “undue intimidation of peaceful protesters” and the panel’s decision to re-open the Toll Gate where the shooting took place.


In his reaction, Ayanfe Adeyemi, another Tweeter user, accused the government of orchestrating the murder to stop the new-found unity among Nigerian youth.

 

“They got scared of our unity instead of being inspired by Nigerians’ creativity and tenacity. We said stop killing us, but their response was #LekkiMassacre. It’s exactly 5months and no one is taking responsibility… A day of reckoning is on the wa; we won’t spare them,” he said. 

  See others reactions below: 


Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users

No comments

Post a Comment

Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)

Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
© Copyright © 2023 NigerianEye.com | Your Online Nigerian Newspaper | All Rights Reserved