By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
An international human rights organisation, Amnesty International (AI), on Wednesday asked the Nigerian government to stop its efforts to cover up the Lekki Tollgate shootings which occurred Tuesday last week.
In a statement issued by its Country Director, Osai Ojigho, the organisation posited that every that happened at Lekki Tollgate had the traits of the Nigerian authorities’ pattern of a cover-up whenever their defence and security forces commit unlawful killings.
The international rights group disclosed that it has released a new timeline investigating the attack that occurred in Lagos on October 20, which collated photographs and video footage to confirm that Nigerian Army vehicles left Bonny Camp at 6:29 pm.
The statement by AI reads: “What happened at Lekki Toll Gate has all the traits of the Nigerian authorities’ pattern of a cover-up whenever their defence and security forces commit unlawful killings.
“One week on, the Nigerian authorities still have many questions to answer: who ordered the use of lethal force on peaceful protesters? Why were CCTV cameras on the scene dismantled in advance? And who ordered electricity being turned off minutes before the military opened fire on protesters?
“The initial denials of the involvement of soldiers in the shooting was followed by the shameful denial of the loss of lives as a result of the military’s attack against the protests.
“Many people are still missing since the day of the incident, and credible evidence shows that the military prevented ambulances from reaching the severely injured in the aftermath.”
Amnesty International has therefore urged Nigerian authorities to bring to justice those behind the shooting and also to protect those who were exercising their right to freedom of assembly.