Who Is Responsible For The Lekki Tollgate Massacre? Nigerians Want Answers
On Tuesday, October 20, 2020, ten days after the EndSARS movement began across the country, Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo Olu, through his official Twitter account, announced a curfew on the whole of Lagos, starting by 4pm that day. This announcement came by 12 pm, giving only four hours for people to get to their respective homes safely.
The Governor justified his actions, claiming that the safety of the state was at stake, as peaceful protests had been hijacked by hoodlums who had begun perpetrating violence across the state.
The news of the curfew threw people into a state of panic, as people were unsure of the repercussions of being on the road after the curfew took effect.
Generally, a curfew implies that people remain at whatever location they are, when the curfew begins. The freedom of movement and liberty is a constitutionally protected right of the citizen, however, this can be temporally revoked by the government, to curtail the spread of violence in the country.
In spite of the curfew announcement, some peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll gate, Lagos, insisted that they will remain at the location and keep on carrying out their peaceful protests. The protesters sat on the floor, waving their flag and singing the national anthem.
After the initial announcement of the 4 o’clock curfew, an extension of the curfew was extended till 9 pm. However, by 7pm, reports started filtering in through social media, of the presence of men of the armed forces at Lekki toll gate.
There were reports of soldiers firing shots into the air, and protesters being caught in the fire. Soon, pictures and videos of protesters running for their lives, while trying to save others that had been hit began circulating social media. DJ Switch , through her Instagram live, was able to broadcast the true state of things at the tollgate, which is now being described as the Lekki tollgate massacre.
The Governor, as the chief security officer of the state, is responsible for ensuring the safety of citizens within a state. He can take reasonable steps, such as enforcing a curfew, to ensure this. The Governor however does not have the power to mobilize the armed forces of the country, to any part of the state. The only person that has the power to mobilize the army is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, through his Chief of Defence Staff. In spite of this, it is highly unlikely that there will be a military presence in a state, without the Governor’s knowledge.
Over 20 people have been reported dead at the Lekki tollgate shootings, including Iraoya Godwin and Chijioke Emmanuel Tony. The Governor himself visited injured protesters at various hospitals, and through his Twitter account, claims ignorance of the activities of soldiers at the tollgate, stating that “forces beyond our direct control have moved to make dark notes in our history”.
Speaking with Arise News today October 22, 2020, the Governor admits that he does not know the protocols of the Armed Forces in the country, nor the chain of command that will authorize their presence in his state. In making this admission, does he also admit that he has lost control over his state?
The official social media account of the Nigerian Army has come out to deny any involvement in the shootings at Lekki tollgate. Stamping any news of their presence as “fake news”.
Nigerians are demanding that those responsible for the senseless death of innocent protesters be brought to book. The Lekki protest has been one of the most peaceful in the country, recording no violence for ten days, up until Tuesday night, when the army opened fire on innocent, patriotic Nigerians.
In all of this, the Presidency has been quiet. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo through his official Twitter account, expressed sympathy for victims of the shootings, but has said nothing about investigating these activities or if the military has acted within its jurisdiction.
The story is still developing.
