Nigerians may have more questions to ask as to who authorized the Tuesday shooting of peaceful protesters by military personnel at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos.
As more condemnations are coming from within and outside Nigeria against the killing of innocent protesters, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is yet to come to terms with who actually ordered the military men to act the way they did.
According to the Governor in an interview with Arise News Television on Thursday, he had declared a curfew to begin at 4pm on Tuesday when it was suspected that hoodlums were about to hijack the peaceful protest but the curfew time was later shifted to 9pm after some concerned Lagos residents had suggested a shift in time to enable workers and everybody on the road to get back home.
He explained that he had consulted with the state commissioner of police for police personnel to be out after 9pm to enforce the curfew but surprisingly about 7.30pm he got a call from one of his cabinet officials that gun shots were heard around Lekki Toll Gate area.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said, he was surprised to hear that armed military personnel were already firing shots at the protesters on the orders of who he did not know.
To him, the mystery behind the sudden instruction to the military personnel to attack the protesters amounted to nothing but sabotage as he was yet to understand where the order came from.
It was gathered that while Sanwo-Olu is still battling to understand what played out, some interests within the military are getting worried as to how the Lekki Toll Gate shooting saga would end. It’s being suspected that some persons may have acted beyond or outside their powers.
Some security experts who spoke anonymously on the involvement of the military personnel in the shooting said it is only the President who is the Commander-in-Chief that can get the truth through the military high command.
As at press time, President Muhammadu Buhari was said to be at a high level security meeting with the Service Chiefs ostensibly on the ENDSARS protest particularly with respect to the Tuesday shooting in Lagos.
Meanwhile, Governor Sanwo-Olu has appealed to all stakeholders particularly religious leaders, community development associations, opinion leaders, parents and others to prevail on the youths to sheath their sword and embrace peace as his government is poised to get to the root of the matter.
He has appealed to all residents not to perceive him as anti-people governor as he has continued to identify with the ENDSARS protesters from the first day before hoodlums unfortunately hijacked the protest.
He has asked all those whose family members were killed or brutalised by members of the disbanded SARS in Lagos State to come forward with details as the State has made arrangement to compensate them.
https://any.peopleandpowermag.com/sanwo-olu-alleges-sabotage-at-lekki-toll-gate-shootings/
