Former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has dismissed claims that protesters were killed during the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS demonstration at the Lekki Toll Gate, insisting that soldiers deployed to the area were armed only with blank bullets.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television on Monday, Mohammed said the Federal Government had access to security information that was not publicly available at the time of the incident.
“We at the Federal Government level had access to information no one else had. I know this for a fact because I was continuously in touch with the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Defence Staff throughout those operations,” he said.
Mohammed maintained that the troops at Lekki Toll Gate did not use live ammunition. “I know for a fact that soldiers were issued blank bullets when they went to Lekki Toll Gate. The actors are still alive today,” he stated.
He further challenged claims of casualties at the scene, asserting that no massacre occurred.
“Honestly, I am not aware that the military used live bullets on protesters, but I know that there was no massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate. There was a lot of fake news and misinformation,” he said.
Mohammed also urged those alleging deaths to provide verifiable evidence.
“Very simply, tell me one person who can say my daughter, my son, or my ward was at the Lekki Toll Gate and was shot and killed there,” he added.
The former minister’s comments come as debates over the events at the Lekki Toll Gate continue to resurface in public discourse, years after the protest that sparked nationwide calls for police reform.
