*As activist drags America-based tv staff to court
*Advises it should better testify before investigative panel if it has any truth
*More meaningful Nigerians attack CNN for deliberately reporting lies against Nigeria
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The CNN claimed it interviewed the man it identified as Elisha Sunday, whose brother, Victor, was allegedly killed during the October 20th shooting incident although the Nigeria Army, after being blocked by #ENDSARS lawyers from testifying in allegations against it before Lagos judicial panel, gave damning revelations that indict not only the likes of CNN but also other foreign and local media, whose stock in trade it has become to promote Fake News in effort to incite citizens against the government of Muhammadu Buhari and the security forces in the country.
For attempting to divert attention from truths that have emerged after weeks of misleading, false collaborative reports by foreign and local media about indiscribeable massacre at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, South West Nigeria without show of single dead body or spot stain of blood, the United States of America-based Cable News Network (CNN) got enmeshed in further integrity issue Wednesday as bombs of condemnations detonated on it.
The CNN’s journalism suffered more confidence crisis with its viewers getting more divided by its adjudged “hard to believe” one sided report of the Nigeria’s October protests.
It got worse when citizens, surprised at its “unprofessional” documentary, thronged the social and main media with packs of condemnations for aiding Fake News that caused destruction of major economies and loss of innocent lives in Nigeria’s former capital during the #ENDSARS protests in parts of the country.
They said the foreign medium obviously sought to convince the world to take what they called its many lies about the incident after the truths continued to be in the public space with a presidency aid, Lauretta Onochie positing that no matter how a lie is painted, it will never become the truth.
Mainly, a leading activist in the country, Mr. Kenechukwu Okeke, threatened to drag the CNN staff to court over its acclaimed independent investigation that led to misrepresentation by the foreign television of truths regarding the Tuesday October 20, 2020 Lekki Toll Gate incident.
Okeke has within last seven days filed a case in an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court against 60 sponsors of the protests, including Pastor Sam Adeyemi, Aisha Yusuf and others on the grounds that he lost properties to the destructions caused by the protesters.
The CNN in its footage showed how soldiers shot at protesters and proved that some protesters were killed at the protest ground.
The global cable network also tracked the bullets shells found at the scene of the shooting which showed that they were purchased by the Nigerian government from Serbia in 2005.
Its documentary got every mouth wagging when the broadcasting station reported news of a dead man that only it and one Nigerian identified by its staff know.
The CNN claimed it interviewed the man it identified as Elisha Sunday, whose brother, Victor, was allegedly killed during the October 20th shooting incident although the Nigeria Army, after being blocked by #ENDSARS lawyers from testifying in allegations against it before Lagos judicial panel, gave damning revelations that indict not only the likes of CNN but also other foreign and local media, whose stock in trade it has become to promote Fake News in effort to incite citizens against the government of Muhammadu Buhari and the security forces in the country.
However, activist Okeke in a Twitter thread on Wednesday said the investigation by CNN is an affront on Nigeria’s sovereignty and must be sanctioned.
He threatened to initiate a criminal contempt proceeding against CNN staff, adding that the investigation is an attempt to challenge the Lagos judicial panel.
According to him, CNN should have rather testified as a witness before the judicial panel.
His tweet read: “It is an affront or impingement on Nigeria’s sovereignty or judicial processes for the CNN to have investigated, concluded or pre-judged issues being litigated or debated before a tribunal established by law. This is intolerable, and there must be sanctions.
“I will, therefore, initiate criminal contempt proceedings against all the @CNN staff (without any exception) that deliberately and egregiously impugned the majesty of the courts or any tribunal established by law in Nigeria. Justice is too important to be decided by the media.
“CNN ought to have testified under oath as witness (es) before the tribunals to establish any such ‘investigations’. Otherwise is a deliberate act to impugn (egregiously) or preempt the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry. We will not have it though, as the courts are sacred.
“Without an exception’ herein includes any person(s) or actor(s) that improperly collaborated on substantive factual and legal issues on @Twitter (or any other social media platforms), outside of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiries (tribunals),” he said.
Sadly, it was gathered, some Nigerians have refused to accept the enormity of their lies about the Lekki Toll Gate, despite all the information they believe having been exposed and neutralised by evidences given by witnesses testimonies at the Lagos judicial panel.
