By our reporter| The Nigerian Army on Saturday admitted that it took live and blank bullets to the Lekki tollgate in Lagos on the night of October, 20 where #EndSARS protesters were forcefully dispersed by soldiers.
Brigadier General Ahmed Taiwo, the Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade who made the disclosure when he appeared before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State government to look into the allegations of brutality by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), however, informed the panel and others present that the live rounds were not used on the protesters.
According to him, 85 per cent of bullets the military officers took to the protest venue were blank, explaining that the live bullets were meant for military operations along the Eti-Osa corridor, and not for #EndSARS protesters.
He said, “Definitely, a portion of the Force will carry live bullets, in case they are attacked. But the soldiers that formed the firing team, who fired, used blank bullets. And that is why you watched the video and saw exactly what happened.”
The chairman of the judicial panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi, had earlier in the day called the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to present the footage which captured the incident at the tollgate on October 20, to the watched by all parties, including the army.
At the end of screening of the footage, General Taiwo cross-examined by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika.
On the initial denial of the army’s involvement in the shooting, the brigade commander noted that that was done because they did not have the facts of what transpired at the protest venue.
He further explained that the army had to step as there was already breakdown of law and order following the burning and sacking of police stations earlier in the day.
General Taiwo also insisted that no one died in the Lekki shooting, except only those who fainted and were revived.
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