Lekki Shootings: Army Testimony shows it has nothing to hide – Group

The Coalition of Oduduwa Decedents has lauded the testimony of the Nigerian Army at the resumed hearing of the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution in Lagos state.

The army had in its testimony on Saturday insisted that it never perpetrated any form of human rights abuses saying its men only fired blank ammunition into the air to disperse protesters on the night of the alleged shooting.

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While reacting to Army’s testimony, the Coalition in a statement said the “testimony of the Nigerian Army is an indication it has nothing to hide with regards to its intervention in the EndSARS protest that recently rocked the country.

“It is indeed a statement of the fact that the Nigerian Army intervened in the EndSARS protest on the invitation of the Lagos state government which is contrary to the narrative been pushed forward by some segment of the populace.

“This much was highlighted in the testimony given by representatives of the Nigerian Army that appeared before the panel. We find this disposition commendable, which by and large indicates the tremendous respect the Nigerian Army authorities, has for the rule of law in the country.”

The group further added that the way and manner the Nigerian Army presented their case indicates its readiness to defend its actions and inactions at all times.

“The Nigerian Army has indeed won the confidence of the Coalition of Oduduwa Descendants by setting the records straight with regards to what transpired at the Lekki Tollgate where it was alleged that soldiers killed unarmed and peaceful protesters.”

“The Nigerian Army indeed clarified its intervention and with facts to buttress their point in a detailed fashion that indeed punctured the erroneous and highly misleading stories that made the round that live bullets were fired into the crowd of peaceful protesters.”

“ The fact that the governor of Lagos state invited the Nigerian Army to intervene in the Lekki Toll Gate protest is an indication that things were going out of control and the last resort was to invite the Nigerian Army to restore law and order.”

The Coalition of Oduduwa Descendants stated that the Nigerian Army acted in the best interest of the country by averting what would have been a crisis of phenomenal proportion with the hijack of the protest by some thugs and hoodlums.

“It remains the fact that hoodlums and thugs had hijacked the protest and were on the verge of unleashing violence but for the intervention of soldiers that fired blank bullets into the air in an attempt to dismiss the already restive and volatile crowd.”

“It is thus our considered opinion that the intervention of the soldiers indeed saved the day. This is, however, contrary to the narrative promoted in some quarters where it was alleged that soldiers massacred youths at the Lekki Tollgate.”

“There is a great need for Nigerians to tow the path of caution when it comes to issues of national security as there are more than meets the eyes and with the level of professionalism that has been entrenched in the operations of the Nigerian Army in the last few years, it would be foolhardy for soldiers to fire live bullets into a crowd of peaceful protesters and in the full glare of the public.”