Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has reiterated that soldiers deployed to the Lekki Tollgate during the October 2020 EndSARS protests were issued blank bullets, insisting that no massacre occurred at the location.
Mohammed made the statement on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he maintained the Federal Government’s long-standing position on the incident.
According to him, while casualties were recorded during the nationwide protests, none occurred at the Lekki Tollgate in the form of a massacre. He noted that the government never denied that lives were lost during the protests, adding that 37 police officers and six soldiers died in different parts of the country.
“Our position has always been clear. There were casualties during EndSARS, and we acknowledged them. However, there was no massacre at the Lekki Tollgate,” he said.
Mohammed criticised international media coverage of the incident, particularly a report by CNN, stating that the network relied on unverified sources and was not physically present at the scene.
He described the Lekki Tollgate narrative as misleading, arguing that it was portrayed as a massacre without evidence of fatalities. “This is the only alleged massacre in the world without bodies,” he said, challenging anyone to present a confirmed case of a protester who was killed at the tollgate and never returned home.
The former minister disclosed that the soldiers deployed to the area were given blank ammunition, which he said could cause injuries but not fatalities.
“I am not a ballistic expert, but to the best of my knowledge, the soldiers were issued blank bullets,” he stated.
Mohammed also said he reviewed the Lagos State government’s report on the incident and later addressed the findings during an international press briefing. He added that he was in constant communication with senior military officials throughout the period of the protests.
He further attributed the widespread belief in a massacre to misinformation and fake news, stressing that the individuals involved were still alive.
While reflecting on the Buhari administration, Mohammed also defended the suspension of Twitter (now X) in 2021, stating that the platform had become a tool for individuals seeking to destabilise the country.
The EndSARS protests were sparked by widespread calls for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) over allegations of human rights abuses. Despite repeated denials by the Federal Government, the Lekki Tollgate incident remains a subject of public debate, with annual commemorations still held to mark the protest anniversary.
