Femi Segun, let us hope that we are not being fed with fake, manipulated and Nollywood pictures. While every sane person should support the call for an international investigation team to unravel what happened at Lekki Tollgate on 20 October 2020, I think one should impose reason over impulse so as not to pre-empt the results of subsequent international investigations. From the Premium Times purported investigations I am yet to detect a compelling evidence of what actually happened at Lekki tollgate, at the night in question. The Premium Times investigators stated, "At about 6 : 45 p. m., on October 20, (2020) men in military uniform arrived at the Lekki Toll Gate, in Lagos, in three Toyota Hilux Vans and almost immediately began shooting into a crowd of peaceful protesters gathered there waving the Nigerian green-and-white flag and reciting National Anthem." My question to the expression, "men in military uniform" is, is it possible for people to dress in military uniform in Nigeria without belonging to the Nigerian Army? Premium Times investigators, as it appears had no evidence that the shooters were from the Nigerian Army which was why the crowd attackers were identified as "men in military uniform."
She (D.J. Switch), Premium Times investigators reported, "said the military (men) initially prevented first responders and ambulances from reaching the injured but later allowed them through." She said, "she saw at least 15 corpses and claimed that the security agents took the bodies away." The Premium Times never took initiative to contact any of the first responders and ambulances who were said to have been there to corroborate D.J. Switch's statement. Contrary to previous Premium Times publication, that D. J. Switch handed over victims shot dead to soldiers that took them away, she now claims to have seen at least 15 corpses that the security agents (not soldiers) took away.
Referring to the Amnesty International Report of 21 October 2020, the Premium Times Investigator stated : At least 12 people were killed at Alausa and Lekki Toll Gate Lagos (2 at Alausa and 10 at Lekki Toll Gate); Hundreds severely injured and the CCTVs were dismantled to cover the murder. Again, one is being fed with guessed number of deaths, in particular, at the Tollgate. Citing from the report of Amnesty International, the Premium Times wrote, "Evidence gathered from eyewitnesses, video footages and hospital reports confirm that between 6:45 p.m. and 9 : 00p.m., on Tuesday, 20 October (2020), the Nigerian military opened fire on thousands of people who were peacefully calling for good governance and an end to police brutality." Following the AI's report, the Nigerian military was engaged in shooting at thousands of people for two hours and fifteen minutes. If this were true and correct, real dead casualties then should have been in hundreds and not as being guessed to be at least 10 or 15!!! Besides that, I wonder what kind of peaceful demonstrators would flout dusk to dawn curfew declared by the government of Lagos State. The Governor of Lagos, Sanwo-Olu, has since confirmed that the CCTVs were intact and that they would be submitted to the investigating panel on Lekki incident.
A human body was found floating in the lagoon not far from Lekki and one of the Premium Times investigators, "Mr. Adeoyo said nearby residents suspected that the floating body could be one of the protesters fired upon by soldiers and alleged by witnesses to have been carried. A google map coordinate he sent indicated that the body was floating close to Bay Lounge, an upscale restaurant." No one was humane enough to pick the floating dead man from the lagoon not to talk of confirming if he had bullet holes in any part of his decaying body. Yet, it was being speculated that he might have been a demonstrator shot by soldiers. What of if the floating body belonged to a visitor to the upscale restaurant, Bay Lounge, who was drunk on alcohol and fell into the lagoon to drown, or if he was a victim of some criminals resident at the nearby shanty? It is horrific to see a floating dead human body on the lagoon, but the greatest horror as I see it is to attribute his death to soldiers without evidence.
S. Kadiri
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Femi Segun <soloruntoba@gmail.com>
Sent: 31 October 2020 15:33
To: 'Chika Onyeani' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - MUST READ AND WE MUST ALL ACT RIGHT AWAY
Sent: 31 October 2020 15:33
To: 'Chika Onyeani' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - MUST READ AND WE MUST ALL ACT RIGHT AWAY
Despite these horrific pictures and eyewitnesses accounts, there are people who will still deny that people were killed during the attacks. Many consciences have been seared with iron. Our humanity has been discounted to the extent that nothing that doesn't affect us directly matters again. Instead of rage, we have settled for semantics. In Lagos with a population of over 15 million people, where many citizens have given up on the government, regime apologists are here telling us nobody died because nobody has come out to say somebody died Cry. my beloved country.
On Sat, Oct 31, 2020 at 7:47 AM Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:
--Read below: we must call for an international investigation team, demand the resignation of the Buhari government, and send some army officers and police to The International Court of Justice for prosecution.
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