Nigerian Army, Gov Sanwo-Olu In Rift Over Denial Of Using Troops For Lekki Protesters 

The Nigerian Army Command, opened a rift with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos on Saturday over the governor’s reported denial about sending the army to clamp down on protesters at Lekki toll plaza during the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS protest.

The Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, convened the stance of the army while appearing before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the Lekki incident.

BIGPEN reports that Brig. Gen. Taiwo’s remarks came amid mounting global outrage and intense criticism from Amnesty International and other notable voices over the military role in the shooting of #EndSARS protesters in Lekki.

Governor Sanwo-Olu had reportedly earlier claimed that he knew nothing about troop deployment in Lekki Tollgate where soldiers were accused of shooting protesters for allegedly flouting the curfew imposed on the state to curb the social unrest unleashed by hoodlums who had seized the #EndSARS protest.

Sanwo-Olu, in his first reaction after the shooting, had blamed the shooting on “forces beyond my control.”

However, in his first major interview after the shooting, the governor in a television programme had, denied ordering the army to the state, saying such powers is beyond any state governor.

He said: “I don’t know how the officers got it all wrong because the instruction was that police won’t be out until 10-10:30 p.m. when all citizens should have gotten to their various homes. This is totally against what we stand for.

“The army does not report to me, I have reported the matter to the highest command in the military. It’s not something we are going to gloss over. A judicial panel will be set up to investigate it. I have escalated it to the highest level of the military, Sanwo-Olu was quoted to have said, according to THISDAY report.

In an earlier statement Governor Sanwo-Olu, was credited to have admitted that the CCTV captured the military, adding that the perpetrators would be held accountable.

The governor would later open up of the involvement of the army in the shooting as he told the CNN that the CCTV showed the presence of the military at the scene.

During the interview, he said: “From the footage that we could see, it seems to be…there would be men in military uniform, who should be Nigerian Army or something.”

But when pressed further by the CNN, the governor said: “Yes, they were there. That’s what the footage shows.”

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But the army in statement said the state government invited it to enforce the curfew and that it did not shoot any protesters.

A statement by the Acting Deputy Director, 81 Division Army Public Relations, Major Osoba Olaniyi, which provided further clarification on the troop deployment during the protests, categorically denied that civilians were shot at.

“However, the decision to call in the military was taken by the Lagos State Government (LASG) after a 24-hour curfew was imposed.

“This was as a result of the violence, which led to several police stations being burnt, policemen killed, suspects in police custody released and weapons carted away.

“The situation was fast degenerating into anarchy. It was at this point that LASG requested for the military to intervene in order to restore normalcy”, the statement said.

Meanwhile, giving his testimony before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the Lekki incident, Brig. Gen Taiwo said inviting the military was the best decision the Lagos governor could have taken as the #EndSARS protest plunged the state into anarchy but added that the Army was also unhappy that Sanwo-Olu said two persons died from the military engagement at the Lekki tollgate.

Taiwo said, “I spoke with the governor and said the Army was unhappy that he said he did not ask for Army’s intervention but I am sure that after you watched everything (video footages), you saw he had more than enough grounds to ask for Army’s intervention; perhaps it was the way everything went.”

The Army also confirmed evacuating over N2billion for banks affected by violence and looting during the #EndSARS protests.

The Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo said banks were the most affected by the violence.