*CNN is desperate – Nigerian Govt
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reportedly accused the Cable Network News (CNN) of desperation over its second report on the Lekki toll plaza shootings, which shows nothing new than try to impress that Army’s saying it carried both blank and live ammunition during #ENDSARS is vindication of its earlier report.
The Army, during a cross-examination by lawyers to #ENDSARS protesters and Lagos State Government at the second appearances before Lagos judicial panel in the incudent last Saturday, said it went to the scene with blank and live ammunition as required by the rules of engagement in Internal Security Operations but that its troops shot only blank bullets as there was no situation warranting the use of live bullets.
The Army, at both appearances, maintained that its troops shot only into the sky and gave lack of fatality at the scene as proof no one was killed at Lekki Toll Gate as being spread around by local and foreign media of which CNN is prominent.
Thinking it was opportunity in the waiting, the CNN saw the Army’s submission as an admission of its ‘investigative’ report that soldiers massacred protesters and went ahead, on Tuesday, to release a follow up video, saying it stood by its earlier report.
The new video shows protesters running as soldiers shot into the sky but which CNN reported as “opened fire at the protesters” at the Lekki Toll Gate but fails to show a single body that was felled by the live bullets it claimed were shot at them.
In the video keenly watched and studied by The DEFENDER, the CNN tried to inject a picture of a theatre of war in midnight, earlier confirmed to be of North East clearance operations and in contrast to that of Lekki that happened when the space was yet to be enveloped by darkness, and was believed to have quickly withdrawn its emphasis on that knowing it will not fly.
The new video also featured Commander, 81 Division, Brigadier General Ahmed Taiwo’s testimony before the Lagos Judicial Panel where he said that soldiers took both blank and live ammunition to the Toll Gate and which is correct with facts available to all parties and not new.
It, however, became issue when, in trying to justify an earlier report, it was the known truth never denied even by the Army that the US based CNN repeated as an admittance by the force.
The Minister, appearing on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Wednesday November 25, 2020, said the CNN was desperate as the report lacked credibility.
He said, “It shows that they (CNN) are desperate. The so-called recent development has been seen before. There is nothing new. If there is anything new, it is a contradiction of CNN’s position.
“What we are asking CNN is that where is your evidence. The military has been consistent. CNN contravenes the basic principles of journalism – fairness, and balance.
“They did the story without contacting the Federal Government for its own side. They relied on second and third parties narratives.
“They (CNN) were caught spreading fake news and they are trying to escape.
“We are accusing them (CNN) of basing their stories on videos sourced on social media. CNN has been inconsistent. It also doctored the video it got.
“We are confident in our position,” the Nigerian Government stated.
