The Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital and Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, has taken a swipe on United States of America-based Cable News Network (CNN) for it and its allies to think that, with an acclaimed investigative report on shootings at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, Nigerians will be intimidated to take their lies.
Onochie said on Thursday via her Facebook timeline that the CNN lied to the international community, adding that Nigeria will not be ‘stupid’ to believe its lies.
“I’m not upset that CNN lied to the world about my nation, Nigeria. I’m upset that they think we are so stupid that we will swallow their lies. We won’t be bullied into believing a lie!”, she said.
The CNN said despite the denial by the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army, its findings show that live bullets were used against peaceful #ENDSARS protesters during the Tuesday October 20, 2020 protest gathering at Lekki.
On October 20, soldiers marched to the Lekki toll plaza at about 6:45pm and opened fire but said its troops were professional about their shootings as, it said, only blank bullets were fired.
Brigadier General Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo, Commander 81 Division, told the Lagos Judicial Panel that the military arm was called in by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The General noted that the Army responded, “to forestall further violence and loss of lives”.
Despite accounts by government and the Army making clear the many fake news that characterised the obviously and specially selected Lekki incidents whereas many verifiable killings, maimings and rapes by erring protesters across Lagos were either avoided in reports or underreported, elements within the country allegedly working with some foreign interests continued to believe what they chose to believe.
But in an earlier post, Lauretta Onochie said, “No matter how you paint a lie, it will never become the truth.”
