Amnesty International says the insistence of Nigeria’s Information Minister that #EndSARS protesters were not massacred by soldiers and police at Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020 did not come to it as a surprise.
Mohammed had on Tuesday rubbished the report by the panel set up by the Lagos State government to probe the Lekki Tollgate event of October 2020 and other allegations of police brutality.
But the global human rights group, through its Country Director in Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, reacting to the comments by Mohammed, said Amnesty International was not surprised because such denial was expected from the government which, on several occasions, had denied that any Nigerian was killed.
Responding to a question on a television programme on Tuesday, Ojigbo called on the Federal Government to verify the evidence provided by the report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution to Investigate Cases Of Police Brutality, instead of making a sweeping denial of the report.
He said, “I think the first thing is for us to establish the fact that there are different layers of government.
“So what has been presented to the Lagos State Government, as we all know, is easy for the governments to communicate with themselves across board.
“I think the Minister, with his position in government, should liaise with the state authorities to clarify or check information with regards to the panel’s work.
“That would have been an ideal step; and to allow the state government to carry out its task in this regard.
“It is not surprising for us at Amnesty International that the minister, Lai Mohammed, continues to deny that unfortunate incident that happened on October 20, 2020, at the Lekki Tollgate.
“We have seen in the last one year the constant attacks, the constant narrative that is geared toward gas-lighting the victims, survivors and witnesses, and create an impression that people are just up to no good.”