Lekki Shootings: Investigation has revealed where soldiers came from- Falana

By Lukman Olabiyi

Human right lawyer and chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 And Beyond (ASCAB), Femi Falana has revealed that his group investigation into the shooting of the #EndSARS protester at Lekki Toll Gate plaza in Lagos State by the soldiers, is already getting headway.

Falana revealed this while speaking as a guess on a television program aired by Arise TV.

He disclosed that with their investigation into mayhem, they have been able to identify the barracks where the soldiers who opened fire on protesters were deployed from.
He said the issued of controversy whether soldiers were deployed or not to demonstration ground last Tuesday has been put to rest with the identification of the barracks where the soldiers came from.
But the rights activist did not reveal the barrack in question.
He said, “We have already identified the barracks where the soldiers left for Lekki, we have already identified the barracks.”
Falana added, “The President was likely to have been told soldiers were ordered so I want to believe that’s why it was not addressed. They said it was a rumour but I think the facts are emerging now, that indeed soldiers went to Lekki, indeed they fired at protesters and indeed some of the protesters at least two have been officially acknowledged to have died from gunshot wounds.”

ASCAB had recently set up an independent National Citizens Panel of Inquiry to investigate the October 20 shooting of protesters at Lekki Toll Plaza.

Falana accused the security agencies of engaging the services of sponsored thugs to attack peaceful protesters in Lagos and Abuja for about 12 days.

He said, “It is such state sponsored thuggery that boomeranged as boys and girls who have been used and dumped by politicians turned the peaceful protests to a conflagration that engulfed the nation.

Falana also accused the Nigerian government of having no respect for the rule of law and citizens rights to protest. He said constant denials from the federal government and its agencies clearly does show Nigeria as a serious country.

“I have never seen it anywhere in the world where in the federal capital of a country where you have all the embassies, you have unmarked vehicles taking thugs round and it was being filmed and the thugs were being ferried by officials of the government and we are being told it’s not the State Security Service and in Lagos it was not the Nigerian army that shot. Such denials do not portray Nigeria as a serious country, because it is the duty of the government anywhere in the world to trace those criminals and bring them to book,’ Falana said.

He stated further that the “Nugerian government has no respect for the rule of law and have ensured they stave off all forms of protests in the country.

“Every designated venue for protest in the country have been fenced by government to prevent demonstrations. In Lagos, the Gani Fawehinmin square in Lagos has been fenced while the Unity fountain in Abuja has also been fenced, and the same government has said citizens have the right to protest.”