Even after several pieces of evidence that many youths were killed during October 20, 2020, EndSARS protester at Lekki toll plaza, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, insist that nobody was killed.
He re-angered and insulted the teeming Nigerian Youth while addressing the journalists in Abuja when the youths at the same time are marking the anniversary of the killings of their brothers and sisters that died last year. during the #EndSARS protests. He said neither the soldiers nor the police killed anybody during the #EndSARS protests
Muhammed also castigated CNN, DJ Switch, Amnesty International and other global rights groups, insisting that the military never shot at any protester.
His words: “The Federal Government remains proud of the security agencies for acting professionally and showing utmost restraint all through the #EndSARS protest and the ensuing violence, an action that saved lives and properties.
“The six soldiers and 37 policemen who died during the EndSARS protests are human beings with families, even though the human rights organisations and CNN simply ignored their deaths, choosing instead to trumpet a phantom massacre.”
Mohammed noted that the National Economic Council which comprises all governors and representatives of the Federal Government and is chaired by the Vice President has already addressed other issues relating to the #EndSARS protest.
He explained that NEC had revealed that 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory- under the auspices of the National Human Rights Commission – had set up judicial panels and commissions of Inquiry to investigate allegations of violations of human rights levied against members of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, especially members of the disbanded SARS.
“Out of the 28 states, 11 states (Abia, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, and Rivers) have submitted their final reports to council,” the minister stated.
Each state, in collaboration with the Federal Government, shall establish modalities for the settlement of all monetary compensations awarded by the panels. Already, as resolved by NEC, a number of states have set up Victims Compensation Funds, from which several victims have already received payments of sums awarded to them by the panels.
While fielding questions from journalists, Mohammed argued that police reforms would be gradual and could not be achieved overnight.
He also said the police do a lot of good in society which is hardly reported by the media.
