Gist
What Lai Mohammed Said About #EndSARS Panel Reports, CNN, Lekki Shooting, Others [Full Text]
Nigeria’s Minister of Info and Tradition, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reacted to the leaked report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution to Examine Instances of Police Brutality.
Perss Informant remembers that the report of the panel led by Justice Doris Okuwobi which was submitted to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos final week, disclosed that not lower than eleven individuals have been killed on the Lekki tollgate incident.
The report added that not less than 48 protesters have been both shot lifeless, injured with bullet wounds, or assaulted by soldier
Reacting in a press convention on Tuesday, Lai Mohammed dismissed the report of the panel as faux information.
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Good morning gents
2. It’s not information that the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry that investigated instances of police brutality in addition to the incident of Oct. twentieth, 2020, at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos has submitted its report. The submission occurred whereas I used to be in a foreign country on nationwide task. Not like many commentators and analysts, we took our time to learn and digest the report, and we are actually properly positioned to reply.
3. With out mincing phrases, let me say that by no means within the historical past of any Judicial Panel on this nation has its report been riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies, speculations, innuendoes, omissions and conclusions that aren’t supported by proof. What’s circulating in public house is just a rehash of the unverified faux information that has been enjoying on social media because the incident of Oct. twentieth 2020. It’s merely unimaginable {that a} Judicial Panel set as much as examine an incident has submitted a report laden with allegations, the identical allegations it was set as much as examine within the first occasion. As an alternative of sitting for all of 1 yr, the panel may have simply compiled social media ‘tales by the moonlight’ on the incident and submitted, saving taxpayers’ funds and everybody’s time. That report is nothing however the triumph of faux information and the intimidation of a silent majority by a vociferous lynch mob.
4. Gents, we’ve learn some essential evaluation of the report by a brave few. One commentator, a lawyer, stated it raised extra questions than solutions. One other commentator, a journalist, referred to as it a ‘disgraceful report by a disgraceful panel’, saying it reported allegations as an alternative of investigating the allegations. Yet one more questioned how a Judicial Panel may use the phrases ‘bloodbath in context’ and equate such to a bloodbath. All these and lots of extra have raised legitimate questions on that report. We salute their braveness and refusal to be cowed by the rampaging lynch mob that has been screaming blue homicide because the report was launched.
5. We don’t intend to bore you by rehashing particulars of the discrepancies, innuendoes, inconsistencies and errors in that report. They’re already within the public house. Allow us to, nonetheless, level out some key highlights of such discrepancies, errors, omissions, and so on.
i) – The report threw away the testimony of ballistic specialists who testified earlier than it. The specialists stated, inter alia, of their testimony:
”The Workforce finds that from the medical information examined, together with the timeline of arrival at medical facility and the character of the accidents sustained by the Victims, who have been taken to the 5 medical amenities, that no navy grade dwell ammunition (high-velocity) was fired on the protesters at Lekki Tollgate on twentieth October 2020, inside the timeframe of reference (18.30- 20.34hrs). That the GSW (Gun Shot Wounds) accidents (4 in quantity between 19:05 and 19:45 hrs), which have been examined by the Workforce, could be safely recognized as being discharged by both low velocity caliber and/or artisanal/12-gauge firearms (artisanal firearms are locally-fabricated weapons). What’s nonetheless sure is that had the navy personnel intentionally fired navy grade dwell ammunition immediately on the protesters; there would have been considerably extra fatalities and catastrophic accidents recorded. This was clearly not the case.’’
ii) – The identical panel that stated it deemed as credible the proof of the Forensic Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, that solely three of the our bodies on which publish mortem have been performed have been from Lekki and just one had gunshot harm went on to contradict itself by saying 9 individuals died of gunshot wounds at Lekki!
iii) – The person whose proof (that he counted 11 our bodies in a navy van the place he was left for lifeless earlier than he escaped) was discovered to be essential by the panel by no means testified in individual. Relatively, the video of his ‘testimony’ was performed by another person. It didn’t happen to the panel to question the veracity of the testimony of a person who stated he was shot and presumed lifeless however nonetheless had time to rely lifeless our bodies inside a supposedly darkish van at evening!
iv) – The panel stated vans with brushes beneath have been dropped at the Lekki Toll Gate within the morning of Oct. 21 2020 to wash up bloodstains and different proof, however nonetheless discovered bullet casings on the identical website when it visited on Oct. thirtieth 2020. It stated troopers picked up bullet casings from Lekki Toll Gate on the evening of Oct. twentieth 2020, but claimed that policemen got here to the identical spot to select the identical bullet casings on Oct. twenty first 2020!
v) – The panel was silent on the members of the family of these reportedly killed, merely insinuating they have been afraid to testify. Even goats have homeowners who will search for them if they don’t return residence, to not discuss of human beings. The place are the members of the family of those that have been reportedly killed at Lekki Toll Gate? If the panel is recommending compensation for the households, what are their identities and addresses? Who will obtain the compensations when no members of the family have proven updated?
vi) – How did a person who reported seeing the lifeless physique of his brother himself ended up being on the listing of the panel’s deceased individuals?
vii) – How can a Judicial Panel persuade anybody that the names of some casualties of the Lekki Toll Gate incident listed as numbers 3 (Jide), 42 (Tola) and 43 (Knowledge) aren’t fictitious names.
viii) – Why did the Judicial Panel really feel compelled to concoct a ”bloodbath in context” as a euphemism for ”bloodbath”? A bloodbath is a bloodbath. What’s ”bloodbath in context?”
ix) – The report by no means talked about instances of police personnel who have been brutally murdered or the huge destruction of police stations, automobiles, e.t c throughout the Endsars protest. Does this imply that the panel didn’t take into account policemen and ladies as human beings?
x) – The report didn’t make any advice on the harmless individuals whose companies have been attacked and destroyed throughout the protest in Lagos. I believe it was too busy in search of proof to help its conclusion of ‘bloodbath in context’.
6. It’s clear, from the continued, that the report of the panel in circulation can’t be relied upon as a result of its authenticity is unsure. Apart from, the Lagos State Authorities, being the convening authority, has but to launch any official report back to the general public. Neither has the panel performed so. The cowardly leakage of an unsigned report back to the general public is just not sufficient. Assuming the report in circulation bears any iota of genuineness, it’s primary information that the report of such a panel is of no pressure till the convening authority points a White Paper and Gazette on it. It’s subsequently too untimely for any individual or entity to hunt to castigate the Federal Authorities and its businesses or officers primarily based on such an unofficial and unvalidated report.
7. CNN AND OTHERS
The CNN has been celebrating the leaked report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry. In its rush to assert vindication, CNN apparently didn’t even learn the report earlier than rolling out the drums in celebration. By that motion, CNN has celebrated prematurely and has now dedicated a double fake pas: First, by counting on unverified
social media tales and movies to hold out an investigation of the Oct. twentieth 2020 incident at Lekki, the place it didn’t have a correspondent on floor. CNN goofed in its report on the findings of the panel, which fell under the primary requirements of journalism. Secondly, CNN rushed to the air to have fun an unsigned and unverified report that’s riddled with inconsistencies, errors, discrepancies, innuendoes. That’s double fake pas by a information group that’s keen and keen to compromise requirements simply to assert vindication.
8. Sadly, a bit of the Nigerian media has additionally joined the lynch mob. Actually, in an try to vilify authorities in any respect prices, they’ve performed themselves an amazing disservice. How can any information group value its salt write an Editorial validating this sort of report? Are they not seeing what others, together with journalists and attorneys, are seeing? In a surprising twist, a Nigerian newspaper selected to hail what it calls ‘’detailed investigative report’’ by CNN, even when the information channel didn’t even cowl the incident of Oct. twentieth 2020! It’s a traditional case of reducing your nostril to spite your face.
9 CONCLUSIONS
i) – Gents, there may be completely nothing within the report that’s circulating to make us change our stand that there was no bloodbath at Lekki on Oct. twentieth 2020. For us to vary our stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required requirements and can face up to each scrutiny should be produced and offered to the general public. The report in circulation doesn’t meet these necessities. We additionally enchantment to the households of these allegedly killed in Lekki to talk out. It’s untenable to say that some households didn’t come out as a result of they’re afraid. Any mother or father who’s afraid to testify concerning the demise of his or her baby is just not value to be referred to as a mother or father.
ii) – We reject the notion that our troopers and policemen massacred harmless Nigerians at Lekki on Oct. twentieth 2020. That conclusion is just not supported by the load of accessible proof. Indictment for homicide is a really critical problem that can’t be performed on the premise of allegations and corroborations, because the panel did. Such allegations should be proved past an affordable doubt. The report in circulation is calculated to embarrass the Federal Authorities and its businesses with out foolproof proof. The Federal Authorities has by no means condoned the abuse of the rights of Nigerians by safety businesses below any guise, therefore it disbanded SARS and inspired states to arrange the panels to analyze studies of human rights abuses allegedly dedicated by the disbanded SARS personnel
iii) – The 37 policemen and 6 troopers who died throughout the nation throughout the Endsars protest are additionally Nigerians and shouldn’t be forgotten.
iv) – Those that have engaged in untimely celebration of the report in circulation ought to now return and browse it completely and inform Nigerians whether or not it may possibly move any critical scrutiny.
v) – We’re saddened that anybody died in any respect throughout the Endsars protest because the life of each Nigerian and certainly each human is sacrosanct. As we’ve disclosed many occasions, 57 civilians, 37 policemen and 6 troopers have been killed throughout the nation throughout the protest, and we commiserate with their households.
10) Gents, I thanks in your variety consideration. I’ll now take your questions.
Minister of Info and Tradition
