Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has stated that soldiers deployed to the Lekki Tollgate during the October 2020 EndSARS protests were only armed with blank bullets, emphasizing that no massacre occurred at the location.
During an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Mohammed clarified, “Our position on EndSARS was very clear. At no point did the Federal Government say there were no casualties during EndSARS; there were casualties. We reported them, we admitted them. Thirty-seven policemen lost their lives. Six soldiers lost their lives during EndSARS.”
Mohammed explained that while the protests led to fatalities in several parts of Nigeria, the Lekki Tollgate was not a site of mass killings. “We openly reported losses in Kano, Abuja, and other locations, but we have consistently maintained that no massacres occurred at the Lekki Tollgate,” he said.
He also criticized the way international media outlets, including CNN, reported the incident. “CNN was not at the Lekki Tollgate. They relied on poorly sourced information to construct their story,” Mohammed added, noting that much of the coverage was based on unverified reports.
The former minister further described the narrative surrounding the Lekki Tollgate as unusual. “This is the only massacre in the world where there are no bodies. People died in Alimosho and other areas, but not at the tollgate, and I challenge anyone to say their son or daughter did not return home from that location,” he stated.
Mohammed confirmed that soldiers were issued blank bullets, which could incapacitate but not cause fatalities. “Soldiers were issued blank bullets when they went to the Lekki Tollgate. I am not a ballistic forensic expert, but based on available information, there was no massacre at the tollgate,” he explained.
He disclosed that he had studied the Lagos State report on the incident, held a global press conference upon returning from France, and maintained ongoing communication with senior military officers during the period to verify events. Mohammed criticized widespread misinformation and reiterated his belief that accounts of a massacre at the tollgate were unfounded.
The former minister also reflected on the suspension of Twitter, now known as X, in 2021, noting that the platform had become “a tool for those seeking to destabilize the country.” The EndSARS protests, triggered by public demands for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad due to allegations of human rights abuses, continue to be commemorated annually, despite differing perspectives on events at the Lekki Tollgate. Okay News reports.
