#ENDSARS: We stand by Army’s testimony at Lagos panel, Nigeria declares, calls CNN report on Lekki shootings “irresponsible journalism”

*Report was one-dimensional and lacked balance – Minister

Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has declared that United States of America-//based Cable News Network (CNN)’s report on Lekki Toll Gate shootings of Tuesday October 20, 2020 is nothing but “irresponsible journalism”.

To this end, it says it stands by testimony given by the Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brigadier General Ahmed Taiwo, who told the Judicial Panel of Inquiry instituted by the Lagos State Government last Saturday, November 14, that the military officers at the tollgate on that day, fired blank bullets.

The government said that the CNN should be sanctioned over its misrepresenting investigative report on the Lekki tollgate incident.

On Wednesday, November 18, the CNN shared an in-depth report of its investigation on the incident. The report showed what it claimed to be videos of soldiers shooting directly at the protesters. In its report, the international television outfit said investigations showed that live ammunition was fired at the protesters. It also spoke with one Elisha Sunday who claimed his brother was killed in the incident, although up till now, apart from what CNN tried to import into the narrative 28 days after, no family has mourned or reported missing member or evidence of a dead member presented.

Reacting to the report at a press conference on Thursday November19, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who spoke on behalf of the Federal Government, said the report was one-dimensional and lacked balance.

Reiterating his description of the report as “irresponsible journalism”, the Minister alleged that CNN relied on social media videos without verification to produce its report.

“This should earn CNN a serious sanction for irresponsible reporting,” Mohammed said.

In the press conference address copy of which was also given to The DEFENDER, the Minister said:

“Like everyone else, I watched the CNN report. I must tell you that it reinforces the disinformation that is going round, and it is blatantly irresponsible and a poor piece of journalistic work by a reputable international news organization. CNN engaged in incredible sensationalism and did a great disservice to itself and to journalism.

“In the first instance, CNN, which touted its report as an exclusive investigative report, sadly relied on the same videos that have been circulating on social media, without verification. This is very serious and CNN should be sanctioned for that.

“CNN merely said the videos were ”obtained by CNN”, without saying wherefrom and whether or not it authenticated them. Were CNN reporters and cameramen at the Lekki Toll Gate that evening? If the answer is no, on what basis were they reporting? Relying on second or third hand information and presenting it as ”CNN Investigation”? Why didn’t the CNN balance its story by showing the compelling testimony of Brig.-Gen. Taiwo before the Judicial Panel in Lagos? Is this one-sided reporting what is expected from an international media organization or any serious news organization?

“If CNN had done its investigation properly, it would have known how fake news and disinformation were trending during the EndSARS crisis. The BBC even did a report on this, and we recommend that report to CNN. Talking about the BBC, a reporter with the BBC’s Pidgin Service, Damilola Banjo, was at Lekki Toll Gate protest ground that night. She was quoted as saying soldiers were indeed at the Toll Gate but they shot ‘’sporadically into the air’’ and not at the protesters. CNN that was not at the scene reported otherwise.

“In airing its so-called investigative report, CNN conveniently forgot that on Oct. 23rd 2020, it tweeted, from its verified twitter handle, that the military killed 38 people when it opened fire on peaceful protesters on Tuesday, Oct. 20th 2020. Less than a month later, the same CNN, in what it called an EXCLUSIVE report based on a rehash of old, unverified videos, was only able to confirm that one person died in the same incident.

“In its jaundiced reporting, CNN was blind to the fact that six soldiers and 37 policemen were killed in unprovoked attacks. Obviously, CNN did not consider the security agents human enough. CNN, in its ‘investigation’, was blind to the wanton destruction of property in Lagos and across the country. Also, CNN was blind to the burning of police stations and vehicles all over the country. Instead, it went to town with unverified social media footages, in its desperation to prove that people were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate.

“Again, This is irresponsible journalism for which CNN deserves to be sanctioned. We insist that the military did not shoot at protesters at Lekki Toll Gate. They fired blank ammunition in the air. Again, anyone who knows anyone who was killed at Lekki Toll Gate should head to the Judicial Panel with conclusive evidence of such.”