The Federal Government has reiterated its position that there was no massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 20, 2020.
It equally challenged families of those allegedly killed during the incident to speak out.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave government’s position at a media briefing on Tuesday in Abuja
He was reacting to a report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution which investigated cases of police brutality and the toll gate incident.
He said the report was fake and unreliable
“The report in circulation is calculated to embarrass the Federal Government and its agencies without foolproof evidence,’’ the minister stressed.
“The Federal Government has never condoned the abuse of the rights of Nigerians by security agencies under any guise
“As a result, it disbanded SARS and encouraged states to set up the panels to investigate reports of rights abuses allegedly committed by the disbanded SARS personnel,’’ he added.
Alhaji Mohammed noted that the 37 policemen and six soldiers who died across the country during the #EndSARS protests were also Nigerians and should not be forgotten.
“We are saddened that anyone died at all during the #EndSARS protest as the life of every Nigerian and indeed every human is sacrosanct.
“As we have disclosed many times, 57 civilians, 37 policemen and six soldiers were killed across the country during the protests, and we commiserate with their families.
“For us to change our stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required standards and can withstand every scrutiny must be produced and presented to the public,’’ the minister said.
Alhaji Mohammed insisted that there was no massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate, contrary to the report which claimed that nine people were killed.
He stressed that there was nothing in the report in circulation to make government to change its stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on Oct. 20 2020.
CREDIT- NATION