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.
Nigerian Doctors raise alarm as insulin price jumps from ₦5,000 to ₦25,000
Doctors have raised the alarm over a sharp rise in the cost of insulin, warning that the medication, essential for survival for people living with Type 1 diabetes, has become increasingly out of reach for many young Nigerians.
The concern was raised on Wednesday during the sixth Annual Ogun State Youth Diabetes Camp, organised by the Talabi Diabetes Centre in Abeokuta. Speaking at the event, the centre’s Camp Coordinator, Dr Olubiyi Adeshina, said a vial of insulin that used to cost about ₦5,000 now sells for approximately ₦25,000, a fivefold increase that has placed a heavy financial burden on patients and their families.
According to Adeshina, many patients require about two vials a month, bringing the total monthly cost of insulin alone to roughly ₦50,000, not including additional expenses such as blood glucose monitoring.
For people living with Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition where the pancreas stops producing insulin entirely, the medication isn’t optional. “All the days of their lives, at least three times a day, they will need to inject that insulin, or else the blood sugar goes excessively high,” he said, warning that prolonged failure to access insulin can lead to dangerously high blood sugar, coma, and death.
The centre’s Acting Director, Dr Ayotunde Ale, echoed the concern, describing the price increase as a growing crisis compounded by inflation. “Insulin is very, very expensive. Now, with inflation and everything ongoing in society, a packet, a month’s supply, now costs about ₦25,000 against ₦5,000 that we used to purchase insulin,” she said.
Beyond the cost burden, Ale also addressed a separate, deeply rooted challenge facing families of children with undiagnosed diabetes: cultural misconceptions that often prevent early testing.
She urged parents not to attribute unexplained childhood deaths to spiritual causes without first seeking medical screening. “All those children we call ogbanje, they die in their youth, and you don’t know the cause. Don’t call them ogbanje. Please, come for testing. Let’s do screening for all these children,” she said.
Both doctors called on the Federal Government to introduce a dedicated policy and subsidy framework to make insulin more accessible for people living with Type 1 diabetes, particularly children and young adults.
Ale further appealed to the National Assembly to address the broader challenges facing patients, warning that treatment costs could significantly affect their quality of life if left unaddressed.
The Talabi Diabetes Centre currently stands as the only non-profit organisation in Nigeria dedicated specifically to primary diabetic care, and both doctors called for more NGOs and stakeholders to get involved in supporting people living with the condition
Erica opens up on mental struggles she faced after Big Brother Naija
Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Erica Nlewedim, has opened up on the mental struggles she faced after her time on the reality show. The actress and reality star revealed that she battled serious anxiety after leaving the show, as she struggled with constant insults and criticism from fans and social media users. Erica made the revelation while reflecting on her experience after her time on Big Brother Naija and the impact of staying in the public eye.
Speaking about the impact of her time on the reality show, she said she was grateful for the opportunities it created but admitted that the constant trolling took a toll on her mental health.
“I am happy I did it (BBN) because it changed my life, money-wise and all of that. I had to see a therapist afterwards. At first, I didn’t know it was getting to me until after like three years of back-to-back insults.
If I open Instagram and see notifications, I will be like, “Are they dragging me for something again?” I was always anxious, and I didn’t like that.
2024 was my quiet time. I didn’t act on any movie; I just decided to take a break in 2024. It was just last year that I decided to start coming back.
They are like, “Oh, you signed up for this, or you should be used to it by now. One shouldn’t be used to insults or trolling because they are celebrities.”
According to her, some movie producers dismissed her acting ability because of her background as a Big Brother Naija star. She said some producers cast her in lead roles mainly to attract her fans, rather than because they believed in her talent.
“Before I went for Big Brother in 2019, I went to film school in London and I came back thinking I was going to take over, and then Covid happened. So, I had to go for Big Brother.
I was already acting before Big Brother, but most of the characters I played were not lead roles. But after Big Brother, they would put me as the lead and be like It’s only because they want my fans to buy the tickets that they put me in a lead role. It was just all about, you can’t do this. That’s all I kept hearing, and then some producers would be like they put us because they need our fans to come and watch the movie and they would say it to my face. At some point, it just broke me, and that’s why I took a break in 2024. The hardest time was 2023.”
Erica was one of the housemates on the 2020 Lockdown edition of Big Brother Naija. Her time on the show attracted significant attention, particularly because of her relationship with fellow housemate Kiddwaya and her clashes with Laycon.
2Baba unfollows wife Natasha and refollows ex-wife Annie
Nigerian music legend Innocent “2Baba” Idibia has unfollowed his wife, Natasha Osawaru, on Instagram, days after a reported public confrontation between the two at a nightclub opening in Abuja.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday at the launch of the “90s Lounge,” where 2Baba was billed to perform. According to accounts circulating online, Osawaru arrived at the venue accompanied by several men before approaching the singer’s vehicle, triggering a commotion that required the intervention of police and security personnel.
An eyewitness account shared by a social media user claimed Osawaru had demanded to speak with 2Baba on arrival, though the widely circulated video from the scene does not show what specifically triggered the confrontation.
Following the incident, 2Baba was said to have told Osawaru he was no longer interested in continuing their relationship. Checks on his Instagram account on Sunday confirmed he had unfollowed her, while Osawaru continued to follow him.
The fallout comes just over a year after 2Baba’s very public split from his ex-wife, actress Annie Macaulay Idibia, ending a 13-year marriage in January 2025. He confirmed his relationship with Osawaru, an Edo State lawmaker, shortly after, proposing in February 2025 and marrying her in a private traditional ceremony that July.
In a further twist, checks on Monday showed that 2Baba and Annie have since followed each other again on Instagram, more than a year after the pair had unfollowed one another following their separation. The renewed connection has fuelled fresh speculation and reactions online, with many commenters framing the timing as a kind of poetic justice given the current strain between 2Baba and Osawaru.
This isn’t the first sign of tension surrounding the marriage. In a previous incident, 2Baba reportedly interrupted a livestream in which his former managers were discussing his private life, telling them directly to stop. Shortly after, a heated exchange between him and Osawaru was heard off-camera before the broadcast was abruptly cut.
Throughout the public scrutiny surrounding his relationships, 2Baba has maintained that Osawaru was not the reason for his separation from Annie.As of publication, neither 2Baba nor Osawaru has issued a public statement addressing the nightclub incident or the changes to their social media activity.
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