A former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has said that soldiers deployed to the Lekki Tollgate during the October 2020 EndSARS protests were issued blank bullets, insisting that no massacre took place at the location.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Mohammed reiterated the Federal Government’s long-held position on the incident, stressing that while casualties were recorded during the nationwide protests, none occurred at the Lekki Tollgate.
“Our position on EndSARS was very clear. At no point did the Federal Government say there were no casualties during EndSARS; there were casualties,” he said. “We reported them, we admitted them. Thirty-seven policemen lost their lives. Six soldiers lost their lives during EndSARS.”
According to him, although deaths were recorded in several parts of the country during the protests, the events at the Lekki Tollgate did not amount to a massacre.
“Nobody speaks about this, but we admitted it. We give the numbers that lost their lives in Kano, in Abuja, everywhere, but what we said and what we still insist on, that there were no massacres at the Lekki tollgate,” Mohammed stated.
He also criticised international media coverage of the incident, singling out CNN for its reporting.
“And I think this is where I disagreed with the CNN. The CNN was not at the lucky tollgate. CNN relied on poorly sourced stories to write its story,” he added.
Mohammed said he still stands by his position, describing the Lekki Tollgate incident as “the only massacre in the whole of the world where there are no bodies.”
“This is the only massacre in the whole of the world where there are no bodies. People died in Alimoso, people died everywhere, but there was no massacre at the tollgate, and I challenge anybody to come and tell me today that ‘my son or my daughter was at the tollgate, he didn’t come back home,’” he said.
The former spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) disclosed that soldiers deployed to the tollgate were issued blank bullets, noting that such ammunition could cause injuries but did not amount to a massacre.
“Soldiers were issued blank bullets when they went to the Lekki Toll Gate. The whole idea is to disable you, of course, yes, it could probably,” he said. “I’m not a ballistic forensic expert, but I’m saying that as to the best of my knowledge, as of today, there was no massacre at the Lekki tollgate.”
EndSARS: Ex-Minister Says Fake News Shaped Lekki Tollgate Perception
Mohammed said he studied the Lagos State report on the incident and later addressed the matter publicly upon his return from France.
“Of course. Not only did I read it [the Lagos State report], I also studied it, and I came back immediately when I came back from France, and I had a world press conference in which I dissected, and I said, ‘No. This is what really transpired,’” he said.
He further stated that he maintained constant communication with top military officers during the period.
“At the Federal Government level who had access to such information they didn’t have. And I know for a fact because I was continually, continuously in touch with the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Defense Staff all throughout those operations, and we had meetings with them,” Mohammed said.
“I know for a fact that soldiers were issued blank bullets when they went to the Lekki tollgate. The actors are still alive today,” he added.
According to him, misinformation and fake news played a major role in shaping public perception of the incident.
“There was a lot of fake news, a lot of misinformation, but really the truth of the matter, and I stand by the up to this day, of course it’s not popular at all because everybody wants to believe that people were massacred and say this: Tell me one person who says my daughter or my son, or my ward was at the Lekki tollgate and he was shot and killed there. It’s five years on,” he said.
While reviewing the eight years of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, Mohammed also said Twitter, now known as X, was suspended in 2021 because it had become “a platform of choice for anybody who wanted to destabilise the country.”
The EndSARS protests were triggered by nationwide calls for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force over allegations of human rights abuses.
Although some prominent anti-SARS figures claimed that protesters were shot and killed by soldiers at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, the Buhari administration consistently dismissed the allegations.
Five years after the incident, rallies have continued to be held annually to mark the anniversary of the protests.
What’s your take on Lai Mohammed’s latest comments on the Lekki Tollgate incident five years after EndSARS? Share your thoughts, join the conversation, and stay informed with in-depth reports and balanced analysis. Visit LouisaOlaniyi.com.ng for more exclusive Nigerian news, investigations, and updates that matter.
