The Federal Government has threatened to sanction a foreign media outlet, CNN, over its report on the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki toll plaza on October 20, 2020.
The government described the report by the foreign news medium as “irresponsible journalism”.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known at a press conference in Abuja today conveyed to address lingering issues regarding the #EndSARS protests for police reform that rocked the nation last month.
He described the event of October 20, 2020 as a “massacre without bodies”, insisting that not a single body has been produced or a single family has come out to claim their family member was killed at the Lekki tollgate.
The minister alleged that CNN relied on social media video without verification to produce its report. “This should earn CNN a serious sanction for irresponsible reporting,” Mohammed said.
He also said the government stands by last Saturday’s testimony of the Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, who told the Judicial Panel of Inquiry instituted by the Lagos State Government that blank bullets were fired at the toll gate.
He advised persons with evidence on the Lekki shootings to give its testimony before the panel.
He also said some “unscrupulous persons” including celebrities circulated fake news on the social media that aggravated the violence that trailed the two-week demonstration.
The Federal Government on Thursday insisted that there were no mass killings at the Lekki toll gate in the wake of the #EndSARS protests contrary to the general belief.
He said while government awaits the outcome of the panel investigating the matter, “we can say that the world has just witnessed a massacre without bodies” in Lekki.
Culled from Punch
