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.
Wole Soyinka Reveals He’s Been Banned from Entering the United States
Nobel Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka says the U.S. has withdrawn his visa and requested its physical cancellation in Lagos. Wole Soyinka said on Tuesday that the United States had revoked his non-immigrant visa issued last year, and that he had been informed he must reapply should he wish to visit the U.S. again.
The 91-year-old writer had torn up his U.S. green card and renounced his American residency in 2016 in protest of the election of President Donald Trump. The Nobel laureate has held regular teaching appointments at American Ivy League universities since the mid-1990s, following his Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.
“The moment they announce his victory, I will cut my green card myself and start packing up,” Soyinka had said.
On Tuesday, Soyinka presented reporters with a letter from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos requesting that he bring in his passport for the physical cancellation of his visa.
The letter, dated 23 October, stated that “additional information became available” after the visa had been issued. The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“I have no visa; I am obviously banned from the United States, and if you want to see me, you know where to find me,” Soyinka said, addressing those who might have planned to invite him to events in the U.S.
In July, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria announced that Nigerians applying for non-immigrant visas would now receive single-entry, three-month permits, rolling back the previous policy that had allowed multiple-entry, up to 5-year visas.
“I Feel Sorry for Men with One Wife” – Ned Nwoko Has No Regrets After Marrying 4 Wives
Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North, has finally opened up about his marriage to Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, addressing weeks of speculation, accusations, and viral clips that set social media on fire.
The businessman and politician not only defended his controversial polygamous lifestyle but also denied claims that he had been violent towards his wife.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Sunday, the politician addressed the marital crisis with his actress wife, Regina Daniels, directly.
He made astonishing claims about the merits of multiple marriages and firmly rejected the explosive allegations of domestic violence.
In his own words, Ned painted himself as a man who has been misunderstood, while standing firmly by his tradition and choices.
Senator Nwoko was asked about the status of his marriage with his youngest wife, Regina Daniels, following the disturbing video of a 25-year-old Nollywood actress that went viral. A teary clip showed the actress crying and saying she couldn’t “stand the violence anymore.” In the footage, she was heard lamenting, “In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing. But in my own house, I am a Queen.”
The video triggered outrage across social media, with many Nigerians accusing the lawmaker of domestic abuse. However, Senator Nwoko firmly rejected the claim, saying the story was false and that he had never raised a hand on any of his wives.
In his usual calm but confident tone, Senator Nwoko also spoke openly about being a proud polygamist, calling it both a blessing and a cultural duty.
The 64-year-old Senator expressed sympathy, or perhaps pity, for men in monogamous marriages: “I feel sorry for those who have one wife,” he said.
He argued that having multiple wives offers men greater stability and balance, using a striking, easy-to-understand analogy: “Just imagine standing on one leg — it’s difficult. But with two, three, or four, you’re more balanced. That’s the example I give.”
NCC, CBN’s move to end failed airtime, data transactions
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have joined forces to introduce a unified framework aimed at curbing failed airtime recharges and data transactions on electronic platforms.
The initiative, announced last week, seeks to enforce accountability among telecom operators, payment processors, and financial institutions, ensuring that millions of subscribers get timely redress for failed or incomplete transactions.
The Centre for Digital Justice and Consumer Rights (CDJCR) has applauded the move, describing it as a landmark in consumer protection. In a statement on Monday, October 20, 2025, the group’s Executive Director, Dr Kenechukwu Opara, said the collaboration between the two regulators was long overdue.
“For far too long, consumers have borne the brunt of system failures that are neither their fault nor within their control,” Opara said.
Opara noted that failed recharges and data purchases are among the most frequent complaints by telecom users, with many left stranded due to delayed or unresolved reversals. The new framework, he said, would protect millions of Nigerians who rely on mobile platforms for daily microtransactions.
Consumers are not just users; they are the backbone of the telecom and financial systems. By ensuring that customers get full value for every recharge and data purchase, the NCC is not only protecting rights but also deepening trust in Nigeria’s cashless and digital inclusion policies,” he added.
The CDJCR praised the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, for prioritising consumer welfare and for pushing a proactive regulatory agenda.
While commending the regulators, Opara urged them to go a step further by enforcing clear timelines, transparent processes, and strict sanctions against operators who fall short of agreed standards.
“We encourage both regulators to publish the service level expectations for all stakeholders — telecom operators, payment processors, and financial institutions — so that consumers know who to hold accountable when transactions fail,” he said.
The group also applauded the CBN for embedding consumer rights in its financial protection framework, especially for low-income Nigerians who depend heavily on digital services for daily payments.
Beyond telecoms, Opara argued that the NCC–CBN partnership should become a model for other sectors where technology, finance, and service delivery intersect.
“This kind of inter-agency collaboration shows that government institutions can truly work in the interest of citizens. What matters now is strict compliance and constant review of the framework to adapt to new technologies and emerging consumer issues,” he said.
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