The Nigerian Army has said it’s not happy that Babajide Sanwo-Olu denied inviting its men to Lekki tollgate where End SARS protesters were gathered on October 20, 2020.
Jomog New Nigeria reports that the Nigerian army has expressed its disappointment with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s insistence on not inviting them to intervene in the #EndSARS crisis in Lagos state.
The Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo made this disclosure on Saturday while testifying before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the Lekki incident.
The General, however, said inviting the military was the best decision Sanwo-Olu could have made.
Brigadier Taiwo who shared the Nigerian army’s account of the Lekki Toll Gate Shooting at the resumed sitting of the Lagos judicial panel on Saturday November 14, stated that Governor Sanwo-Olu called on the military for support on October 20 after the #EndSARS crisis degenerated into “violence.”
He said;
“I spoke with the governor and said the army was unhappy that he said he did not ask the army to intervene. But I’m sure, after we’ve watched everything, we saw he had more than reasonable grounds to ask the army to intervene.
“Perhaps, it was the way everything went that made him say so.”
Recall that Sanwo-Olu who reacted to the outrage that trailed the shooting, had blamed it on “forces beyond our direct control”.
Sanwo-Olu who also appeared on CNN, confirmed that the army was responsible for the incident, denied having a hand in it.
He said in the interview;
“From the footage we could see, because there were some cameras at that facility, it seems to me that they would be men in military uniform—it should be Nigerian Army or something.”
When asked if he meant the military opened fire on protesters, Sanwo-Olu said in response;
“Yes. That’s what the footage showed.”
However, he said Sanwo-Olu was forced to deny it, because of “the way everything went”.
“I spoke with the governor and said the Army was unhappy that he said he did not ask for the Army’s intervention.
“But I am sure that after you watched everything (video footage), you saw he had more than enough grounds to ask for the Army’s intervention; perhaps it was the way everything went,” Taiwo said.
Sanwo-Olu had claimed that forces beyond his control were responsible for the Lekki shooting but the Army Headquarters fired back in a statement insisting that the Lagos State government invited the soldiers to the protest ground and that the soldiers acted within the rules of engagement.
