The Federal Government has described the report of Cable News Network (CNN), as “irresponsible journalism” and has threatened to sanction the foreign media outlet over its report on the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki toll plaza on October 20.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday to address the issues pertaining to the #EndSARS protests for police reform that rocked the nation last month.
Mohammed described the Lekki incident as a “massacre without bodies”, insisting that not a single body has been produced or a single family has come out to claim their family member was killed at the Lekki tollgate.
The minister alleged that CNN relied on social media video without verification to produce its report. “This should earn CNN a serious sanction for irresponsible reporting,” Mohammed said.
He also said the government stands by last Saturday’s testimony of the Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, who told the Judicial Panel of Inquiry instituted by the Lagos State Government that blank bullets were fired at the toll gate.
He advised persons with evidence on the Lekki shootings to give its testimony before the panel.
He also said some “unscrupulous persons” including celebrities circulated fake news on the social media that aggravated the violence that trailed the two-week demonstration.
