TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE HON. MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY NOV. 23RD 2021 ON THE REPORT OF THE LAGOS STATE JUDICIAL PANEL OF INQUIRY AND RESTITUTION TO INVESTIGATE CASES OF POLICE BRUTALITY AND THE INCIDENT OF OCT. 20TH 2020 AT LEKKI TOLL GATE
Good morning gentlemen.
It’s no longer news that the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry that investigated cases of police brutality as well as the incident of Oct. 20th, 2020, at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos has submitted its report. The submission happened while I was out of the country on a national assignment.
Unlike many commentators and analysts, we took our time to read and digest the report, and we are now well placed to respond.
Without mincing words, let me say that never in the history of any Judicial Panel in this country has its report been riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies, speculations, innuendoes, omissions, and conclusions that are not supported by evidence. What is circulating in public space is simply a rehash of the unverified fake news that has been playing on social media since the incident of October 20th, 2020.
It is simply incredible that a Judicial Panel set up to investigate an incident has submitted a report laden with allegations, the same allegations it was set up to investigate in the first instance. Instead of sitting for all of one year, the panel could have just compiled social media ‘tales by the moonlight’ on the incident and submitted, saving taxpayers’ funds and everyone’s time. That report is nothing but the triumph of fake news and the intimidation of a silent majority by a vociferous lynch mob.
Gentlemen, we have read some critical analysis of the report by a courageous few. One commentator, a lawyer, said it raised more questions than answers. Another commentator, a journalist, called it a ‘disgraceful report by a disgraceful panel’, saying it reported allegations instead of investigating the allegations.
Yet another wondered how a Judicial Panel could use the words ‘massacre in context’ and equate such to a massacre. All these and many more have raised valid questions on that report. We salute their courage and refusal to be cowed by the rampaging lynch mob that has been screaming blue murder since the report was released.
We do not intend to bore you by rehashing details of the discrepancies, innuendoes, inconsistencies, and errors in that report. They are already in the public space. Let us, however, point out some key highlights of such discrepancies, errors, omissions, etc.
i) The report threw away the testimony of ballistic experts who testified before it. The experts said, inter alia, in their testimony:
“The Team finds that from the medical data examined, including the timeline of arrival at the medical facility and the nature of the injuries sustained by the victims, who were taken to the 5 medical facilities, that no military grade live ammunition (high-velocity) was fired at the protesters at Lekki Tollgate on 20th October 2020, within the timeframe of reference (18.30- 20.34hrs).
“That the GSW (Gun Shot Wounds) injuries (4 in number between 19:05 and 19:45 hrs), which were examined by the Team, can be safely identified as being discharged by either low-velocity caliber and/or artisanal/12-gauge firearms (artisanal firearms are locally-fabricated weapons). What is however certain is that had the military personnel deliberately fired military-grade live ammunition directly at the protesters; there would have been significantly more fatalities and catastrophic injuries recorded. This was clearly not the case.”
ii) The same panel that said it deemed as credible the evidence of the Forensic Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, that only three of the bodies on which post mortem were conducted were from Lekki and only one had gunshot injury went on to contradict itself by saying nine persons died of gunshot wounds at Lekki!
iii) The man whose evidence (that he counted 11 bodies in a military van where he was left for dead before he escaped) was found to be crucial by the panel never testified in person. Rather, the video of his ‘testimony’ was played by someone else. It did not occur to the panel to query the veracity of the testimony of a man who said he was
shot and presumed dead but still had time to count dead bodies inside a supposedly dark van at night!
iv) The panel said trucks with brushes underneath were brought to the Lekki Toll Gate in the morning of Oct. 21 2020 to clean up bloodstains and other evidence, but still found bullet casings at the same site when it visited on Oct. 30th, 2020. It said soldiers picked up bullet casings from Lekki Toll Gate on the night of Oct. 20th, 2020, yet claimed that policemen came to the same spot to pick the same bullet casings on Oct. 21st, 2020!
v) The panel was silent on the family members of those reportedly killed, merely insinuating they were afraid to testify. Even goats have owners who will look for them if they do not return home, not to talk of human beings. Where are the family members of those who were reportedly killed at Lekki Toll Gate? If the panel is recommending compensation for the families, what are their identities and addresses? Who will receive the compensations when no family members have shown up to date?
vi) How did a man who reported seeing the lifeless body of his brother himself end up being on the list of the panel’s deceased persons?
vii) How can a Judicial Panel convince anyone that the names of some casualties of the Lekki Toll Gate incident listed as numbers 3 (Jide), 42 (Tola), and 43 (Wisdom) are not fictitious names.
viii) Why did the Judicial Panel feel compelled to concoct a “massacre in context” as a euphemism for “massacre”? A massacre is a massacre. What is “massacre in context?”
ix) The report never mentioned cases of police personnel who were brutally murdered or the massive destruction of police stations, vehicles, e.t c during the Endsars protest. Does this mean that the panel didn’t consider policemen and women as human beings?
x) The report didn’t make any recommendation on the innocent people whose businesses were attacked and destroyed during the protest in Lagos. I think it was too busy looking for evidence to support its conclusion of ‘massacre in context’.
It is clear, from the ongoing, that the report of the panel in circulation cannot be relied upon because its authenticity is in doubt. Besides, the Lagos State Government, being the convening authority, has yet to release any official report to the public. Neither has the panel done so. The cowardly leakage of an unsigned report to the public is not enough.
Assuming the report in circulation bears any iota of genuineness, it is basic knowledge that the report of such a panel is of no force until the convening authority issues a White Paper and Gazette on it. It is therefore too premature for any person or entity to seek to castigate the Federal Government and its agencies or officials based on such an unofficial and unvalidated report.
CNN and Others
The CNN has been celebrating the leaked report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry. In its rush to claim vindication, CNN apparently didn’t even read the report before rolling out the drums in celebration. By that action, CNN has celebrated prematurely and has now committed a double faux pas: First, by relying on unverified
social media stories and videos to carry out an investigation of the Oct. 20th, 2020 incident at Lekki, where it did not have a correspondent on the ground.
CNN goofed in its report on the findings of the panel, which fell below the main standards of journalism. Secondly, CNN rushed to the air to celebrate an unsigned and unverified report that is riddled with inconsistencies, errors, discrepancies, innuendoes. That’s double faux pas by a news organization that is eager and willing to compromise
standards just to claim vindication.
Sadly, a section of the Nigerian media has also joined the lynch mob. Honestly, in an attempt to vilify the government at all costs, they have done themselves a great disservice. How can any news organization worth its salt write an Editorial validating this kind of report? Are they not seeing what others, including journalists and lawyers, are seeing? In a shocking twist, a Nigerian newspaper chose to hail what it calls a “detailed investigative report’’ by CNN, even when the news channel did not even cover the incident of Oct. 20th, 2020! It’s a classic case of cutting your nose to spite your face.
Conclusions
i) Gentlemen, there is absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to make us change our stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on Oct. 20th, 2020. For us to change our stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required standards and will withstand every scrutiny must be produced and presented to the public. The report in circulation does not meet those requirements. We also appeal to the families of those allegedly killed in Lekki to speak out. It’s untenable to say that some families did not come out because they are afraid. Any parent who is afraid to testify about the death of his or her child is not worth being called a parent.
ii) We reject the notion that our soldiers and policemen massacred innocent Nigerians at Lekki on Oct. 20th, 2020. That conclusion is not supported by the weight of available evidence. Indictment for murder is a very serious issue that cannot be done on the basis of allegations and corroborations, as the panel did. Such allegations must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The report in circulation is calculated to embarrass the Federal Government and its agencies without foolproof evidence. The Federal Government has never condoned the abuse of the rights of Nigerians by security agencies under any guise, hence it disbanded SARS and encouraged states to set up the panels to investigate reports of human rights abuses allegedly committed by the disbanded SARS personnel
iii) The 37 policemen and six soldiers who died across the country during the Endsars protest are also Nigerians and should not be forgotten.
iv) Those who have engaged in premature celebration of the report in circulation should now go back and read it thoroughly and tell Nigerians whether it can pass any serious scrutiny.
v) We are saddened that anyone died at all during the Endsars protest as the life of every Nigerian and indeed every human is sacrosanct. As we have disclosed many times, 57 civilians, 37 policemen, and six soldiers were killed across the country during the protest, and we commiserate with their families.
I was sacked as APC national chairman via zoom – Adams Oshiomhole
Adams Oshiomhole has revealed that he was removed as APC national chairman through a Zoom-held NEC meeting, claiming court actions and internal party politics were used to force him out after leading the party to electoral victories.
Speaking during an interview on AIT, the senator representing Edo North said his exit from the party’s top position came after he had helped stabilize the APC and contributed significantly to the party’s electoral successes.
Oshiomhole, who served as APC national chairman from 2018 until his removal in June 2020, said he played a major role in helping the party secure victory in the 2019 general elections under then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I led my party to victory under Buhari. With my colleague in the National Working Committee, NWC, we were able to fix the leadership tussle of the National Assembly, both the Senate and the House Representatives effortlessly,” he said.
“Our president didn’t have to run around the country to talk to people. We did the marketing, explanation, persuasion and all the tools available to manage democracy.”
The former Edo State governor said events took a different turn after the party became more stable, alleging that efforts were made to remove him from office.
“Once the system got stabilized, I was sacked through a Zoom, and when people couldn’t get me removed democratically, they claimed that eight members of my Ward signed a petition that they passed a vote of no confidence on me.
“And on that basis they took the matter to the court, which granted their interim order. I appealed the order. The Court of Appeal quashed it. Three weeks later, the Court of Appeal called us back and restated the order. A few days later, I saw for the first time a National Executive Council, NEC, held by Zoom in the villa,” he said.
Oshiomhole’s removal as APC chairman followed a prolonged internal crisis within the ruling party. At the time, the party’s National Executive Committee dissolved the National Working Committee and approved the formation of a Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee to oversee party affairs.
Court orders INEC to deregister ADC, four other political parties
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties over their poor electoral performance.
The affected parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and the ADC.
The ruling followed a suit filed by a group of former lawmakers who asked the court to determine whether INEC is constitutionally obligated to remove political parties that fail to meet the requirements outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
According to the plaintiffs, the five parties failed to satisfy the constitutional conditions required to retain their registration. These include securing at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election, winning a seat in the National Assembly, a state House of Assembly, a local government chairmanship position, or a councillorship seat.
The group argued that the parties failed to meet these benchmarks during the 2023 general election and in subsequent by-elections conducted by INEC.
They further contended that allowing political parties with little or no electoral support to remain on the register undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system and goes against constitutional provisions.
The plaintiffs urged the court to compel INEC to deregister the parties before preparations for the 2027 general election gather pace.
They also sought an order restraining the affected parties from taking part in elections, conducting party primaries, organising political rallies, or carrying out other political activities pending compliance with constitutional requirements.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu agreed with the arguments presented by the plaintiffs and ordered INEC to deregister the five political parties.
Protest erupts in Ibadan over abducted Oyo pupils, teachers as NUT begins indefinite strike
Protests have erupted in Ibadan over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, as the NUT begins an indefinite strike and President Tinubu orders fresh security measures, including the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards.
Fresh protests broke out in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday as concerned residents, education stakeholders and activists demanded the immediate rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The demonstration comes days after teachers in Ogbomoso staged a similar protest over the kidnapping incident, which claimed the life of one teacher and left dozens of pupils and education workers in captivity.
The protesters marched through major parts of Ibadan carrying placards with messages such as, “Every Life Matters, Stop the Kidnappers,” “47 Abducted, Scared and Alone,” and “Stand Up! Speak Out!”
The kidnapping, which occurred on May 15, 2026, involved pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area.
The incident has continued to spark outrage across Oyo State, with parents, teachers and community leaders expressing concerns over the safety of schools and the prolonged captivity of the victims.
Amid growing frustration over the slow progress in securing the victims’ release, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has directed all public primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State to withdraw their services indefinitely from Monday, June 1, 2026.
The union said the action became necessary because the fate of the abducted teachers and pupils remains uncertain weeks after the incident.
According to the NUT, the continued captivity of the victims has created fear among teachers, discouraged parents from sending their children to school and heightened anxiety in affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the union, Comrade Hassan Fatai, the NUT said the industrial action is “aimed at drawing the attention of government authorities to the urgent need to intensify efforts toward securing the safe release of the abductees without further delay.”
Recent Comments