Lekki TollGate: CNN loses opportunity to prove ‘investigative’ report, as US based TV network objects to Lagos panel’s invitation
*Its excuse: ‘We’re not in Nigeria’
*But you can stay abroad and destroy Nigeria with fake news – Respondents mock US based TV
Cable News Network, Inc.(CNN) has failed to honour invitation by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry to appear before it on Saturday, December 12, 2020, (today), over the alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers on October 20, 2020.
By this failure to appear, it is believed to have willingly lost the opportunity to prove its report broadcast against the government and the Nigerian Army.
The United States of America-based news network said the panel does not have the jurisdiction to summon its staff to testify before it because they are not in Nigeria.
The panel had invited CNN following its two-part report on the Lekki shooting incident.
The report had claimed that Nigerian soldiers shot at and massacred peaceful #EndSARS protesters on the night of October 20 at the Lekki toll gate, Lagos.
The CNN failed, however, to provide evidence in either of the reports to prove its massacre claims.
According to The Nation, the objection filed by CNN’s Lawyers, Messrs. Olumide Babalola LP and dated 4th December 2020 at the Tribunal on December 9, 2020, stated that the panel is bereft of territorial jurisdiction to compel CNN staff to give evidence before it.
The objection letter reads, “Since the Objectors are not “persons in Nigeria” as envisaged by the provision of section 5(c) (of Tribunals Of Inquiry Law Of Lagos State, Cap. T6), then this Honourable Tribunal is, with respect, bereft of territorial jurisdiction to compel their attendance to give evidence before it.”
The panel has therefore excused CNN from further proceedings or appearing before it after a discussion with Babalola in its Private Hearing Room on Saturday, December 12, 2020.
Infuriated by the excuse given by the CNN as gathered from the news reports, some respondents told The DEFENDER that Nigerian government has a duty to convince them that “we are a sovereign nation” by now having to take decisive action against the US based television network, which, they said, thinks it has rights to carry fake news to destroy Nigeria from distance but has no duty to come forward to the judiciary system of Nigeria to prove its allegation or supposed ‘investigative’ reports.
One of them, simply identified as Akin Olu, said: “Did you notice that lawyers who represented CNN in presentation of the objection are Nigerians from the same region where the false investigative report claimed massacre took place? That is for you to know how pitiable our condition is in this country.
“Well, the excusing of the CNN from further communication to appear before the panel is an indication, to me, of an admission that CNN actually did mischief against Nigeria in its report. Unfortunately, an ICC prosecutor seeking investigation of our country for war crimes possibly used fake reports like this of CNN. They will all fail. If anybody want to investigate Nigeria for war crimes, he should go and start with America.,” he said.
