Lagos EndSARS Report: House Minority Caucus berates APC-FG over shocking lie to cover up gruesome massacre of Nigerian youths

The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives of Nigeria’s National Assembly on Thursday berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari what they described as shocking lie in the gruesome killing of Nigerian youth at the Lekki Toll Gate by the Nigerian Army and the police on October 20, 2020, during the #EndSARS protest. The lawmakers further chided the loquacious Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for his consistent lie that there were no killings at Lekki Tollgate. The lawmakers in the House on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demanded immediate resignation of Lai Mohammed.

The Minority Caucus also berated the APC government over high-level state-backed conspiracy against Nigerians.

The Caucus in a statement on Thursday by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, declared: “Our caucus is, however, shocked that the administration can lie in a matter that has to do with the gruesome killing of citizens, particularly, our youths, and even attempt to provide official cover to the culprits.”

The Minority Caucus blasted Lai Mohammed, for “rushing to the media, ahead of the judicial panel, to insist that there were no killings at Lekki Tollgate, even in the face of testimonies of witnesses at the sad event.”

The Opposition Lawmakers maintained: “As representatives of the people, the Minority Caucus holds that killing of our young ones for having the audacity to demand justice, rule of law, and good governance in our nation is the height of wickedness which will continue to haunt the APC and its administration until justice is served.”

The Minority caucus, therefore, called on the APC-led Federal Government “not to cover up the vicious act,” noting that after the findings of the Lagos investigative panel, “the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is expected to resign immediately or be fired by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

The Minority Caucus had earlier acknowledged that the report of the Lagos investigative panel has confirmed that there was, indeed, a massacre at Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, despite the earlier denial of killings by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-government led by President Buhari.

The statement of the Opposition Lawmakers further read in part: “The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives, after a thorough review of the report of the Lagos State #EndSARS judicial panel, holds that the attempt by officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to cover up the now confirmed massacre of Nigerians youths by security forces at the Lekki Tollgate suggests a high-level state-backed conspiracy against Nigerians.

“The confirmation by the Lagos Panel that there was, indeed, a massacre at the Lekki Tollgate during the 2020 #EndSARS protests in Lagos and that APC government-controlled security forces carted away bodies and mopped up evidence, places a huge burden on the Federal Government which had vehemently denied any killings.

The PDP federal lawmakers in the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly commended the Lagos panel for “its boldness in the pursuit of truth and justice and urges other panels investigating allegations of brutality in other states not to be deterred but ensure that the truth is not suppressed.”

The Caucus appealed to Nigerians to remain calm at this crucial period, condoling victims of the Lekki Tollgate assault by the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police, particularly, the families of the 48 victims the Lagos panel confirmed were massacred by the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police during the #Lekkitollgateshotting in October 2020.