By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Even with a large body of evidence provided by CNN in a forensic investigation, including pictorial, information minister, Lai Mohammed, has insisted that the October 20 Lekki shooting was a “massacre without bodies.”
Lai Mohammed was reacting to the CNN investigation on the Lekki shooting which shows Nigerian Army personnel shooting at peaceful protesters, and were later joined by the police in raining bullets on the Nigerians.
But the information minister did not only reject the CNN investigation, he also picked on DJ Switch, the Disc Jockey who live streamed the shooting of that night. He claimed, without proof, that DJ Switch was being used against Nigeria.
In the interview aired on the government controlled NTA, Lai Mohammed reechoed the position of a Nigerian Army General that it was blank bullets that were fired that night, meaning only fire and sound came out of their barrel.
The information minister also repeated the sing song of the Nigerian government that not a single body has been produced or a single family come out to claim the bodies.
For many Nigerians, Lai Mohammed’s claim was hollow because apart from the CNN’s report which puts names to missing persons and dead bodies, including members of their families, a Premium Times investigation also confirmed that the bodies of those killed that night were taken away by their killers.
A lawyer, Tope Akinyode, in a tweet said: “Lai Mohammed’s lies have now become a danger to humanity. He must be made to face the international criminal court before he destroys Nigeria totally. In addition, he deserves a visa ban.”
Nigeria’s celebrated investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, also said: “Lai Mohammed is branding @CNN’s report on Lekki “irresponsible” and calling for sanctions against them. A toothless statement. Arrest the CNN journalists if you really can.”
A Nigerian medical doctor based in the United Kingdom, Dr Harvey Olufunmilayo tweeted: “The VP stated people died. Sanwo went to CNN and confessed like a witch caught on NEPA pole that two people died. We saw the video. Now Lai Mohammed says nobody died. Even if you are going to lie. The lie needs to be consistent at least.”