Lekki shooting: Apologise to Nigerian Army now, Lagos Observers tell Sanwo-Olu

Lagos Observers Group, LOG, says Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu must apologise to the Nigerian Army for misleading the general public on the EndSARS protests.

The group said this became paramount after reviewing circumstances that led to the escalation of violence in the state during the protest while analyzing the army’s testimony as well as other critical stakeholders before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution.

In a communiqué co-signed by Folarin John Odusote and Dr Boboye Olarewaju, its chairman and secretary, respectively, on Monday, the LOG said the army’s testament was factual to support their position that the EndSARS campaign was not a reflection of the reality on the ground.

The group noted that indeed Governor Sanwo-Olu called for reinforcement from the Army when it was apparent that the police have been overwhelmed.

It also said the soldiers deployed to the Lekki Tollgate were pelted with stones and other items upon arrival but did not have live bullets.

At the end of its extraordinary general meeting, the group, however, said the allegations

leveled against the army are “fictitious and meant to disparage the timely intervention of the troops.”

According to the Lagos Observers Group, there is overwhelming evidence that indeed the Nigerian Army was invited by the governor of Lagos State, as it called on Sanwo-Olu to tender an apology to the troops or resign honorably.

“The members of the Lagos Observers group after extensive deliberations and fact checks indeed identified that the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu called for reinforcement from the Nigerian Army when it was apparent that the Nigerian Police has been overwhelmed and things were about to get out of control.

“It was also discovered that the soldiers deployed to the Lekki Tollgate were pelted with stones and other items upon arrival in an already tensed atmosphere susceptible to the crisis of immeasurable proportion in the Lekki-Ikoyi axis.

“The soldiers deployed at the Lekki Tollgate did not have live bullets as widely claimed and reported by a large segment of the population. What was used were blank ammunitions usually deployed in quelling riots.

“It was also discovered that soldiers at the Lekki Tollgate fired into the air to disperse the already riotous crowd and not into the crowd as erroneously stated in different quarters. This fact is buttressed with the fact that the only death recorded at the Lekki Tollgate was not as a result of gunshot injuries.

“It was also discovered that even in the face of provocation, the soldiers remained calm and within their mandate of dispersing the crowd with the use of minimal force. This much was seen in the various video recordings scrutinized,” the group observed.