The Alliance for Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) has
described a recently released US human rights report as
“prejudicial, misleading and one that attempts to cover up the
brutal killings at Lekki and other parts of Lagos from October 20
to 27, 2020.”
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
The group in a statement which was signed by prominent human
rights activist and senior advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana said:
“It’s a very contradictory report. On the one hand the report
claimed that the members of the security forces were enforcing
curfew by firing into the air to disperse protesters at the toll
gate.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
“On the other hand the report stated that some protesters had
turned violent after criminal elements infiltrated them and so the
security forces fired protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.”
The group faulted the report for failing to mention the
detachment of soldiers that carried out the alleged shooting and
queried whether officers of the US army shoot into the air to
enforce curfew.
“The report did not mention the detachment of the Nigerian army
which perpetrated the mayhem. Do soldiers shoot into the air to
enforce curfew in the United States?
“The media should stop treating our people like colonial
subjects by celebrating a foreign report that is subversive of the
rule of law in Nigeria.
“How can the United States Government be allowed to treat the
proceedings before a properly constituted Judicial Panel of Inquiry
so contemptuously?
“The report is prejudicial in every material particular. It
should be ignored by the Judicial Panel as it is designed to
preempt the evidence being adduced by the survivors of the barbaric
attack.
“The report did not acknowledge that the Nigerian army which
initially denied that soldiers were present at the Lekki toll gate
later turned round to admit that they were there but fired only
blank bullets.
“The Americans should update the report by explaining how
casualties and amputees were recorded when the soldiers only shot
into the air.
“Fortunately, more credible reports on the Lekki killings
compiled by the progressive media outfits in Nigeria including The
Punch, The News, Sahara reporters and Premium Times have been
published. To their credit, these media bodies have published
detailed stories on the killings.
“Apart from the confirmation of the cold murder of two people by
Governor Babajide Sanwolu of Lagos State, a senior surgeon from the
Redington hospital has given evidence of the protesters that were
treated for gun shot wounds.
“Is the United States Government not aware of the fact that some
amputees who lost their legs as a result of the shooting have
appeared before the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry?
“Following the dumping of scores of corpses from October 20-27,
2020 did the Lagos State Government not invite people whose family
members were missing to identify the corpses at the Lagos State
mortuaries?
“Did the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) not
disclose that there were 98 corpses dumped in the mortuaries? From
the information at my disposal, 3 of those corpses have been traced
to Lekki.
“I also know a lady who disclosed that her adopted son died of
gunshots at Lekki toll gate. My law firm has taken up the case of a
28-year old lady who collapsed at Lekki with head injury and later
died at a hospital in Lagos.
“The names of the casualties and amputees will be revealed at
the appropriate time. Even President Buhari told the meeting of
former leaders that 69 people including 51 civilians, 11 police
officers and 7 soldiers had been killed in the unrest.
“The President did not say if the figures included the
protesters allegedly killed by Nigerian army in Lagos. Did the
United States report probe the breakdown of the official
figures?
“So, why should I rely on the very unreliable report compiled in
Washington on the genocidal attacks on unarmed protesters by
soldiers from the barracks who were illegally deployed by the
immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai?”
The Alliance for Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) has
described a recently released US human rights report as
“prejudicial, misleading and one that attempts to cover up the
brutal killings at Lekki and other parts of Lagos from October 20
to 27, 2020.”
The group in a statement which was signed by prominent human
rights activist and senior advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana said:
“It’s a very contradictory report. On the one hand the report
claimed that the members of the security forces were enforcing
curfew by firing into the air to disperse protesters at the toll
gate.
“On the other hand the report stated that some protesters had
turned violent after criminal elements infiltrated them and so the
security forces fired protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.”
The group faulted the report for failing to mention the
detachment of soldiers that carried out the alleged shooting and
queried whether officers of the US army shoot into the air to
enforce curfew.
“The report did not mention the detachment of the Nigerian army
which perpetrated the mayhem. Do soldiers shoot into the air to
enforce curfew in the United States?
“The media should stop treating our people like colonial
subjects by celebrating a foreign report that is subversive of the
rule of law in Nigeria.
“How can the United States Government be allowed to treat the
proceedings before a properly constituted Judicial Panel of Inquiry
so contemptuously?
“The report is prejudicial in every material particular. It
should be ignored by the Judicial Panel as it is designed to
preempt the evidence being adduced by the survivors of the barbaric
attack.
“The report did not acknowledge that the Nigerian army which
initially denied that soldiers were present at the Lekki toll gate
later turned round to admit that they were there but fired only
blank bullets.
“The Americans should update the report by explaining how
casualties and amputees were recorded when the soldiers only shot
into the air.
“Fortunately, more credible reports on the Lekki killings
compiled by the progressive media outfits in Nigeria including The
Punch, The News, Sahara reporters and Premium Times have been
published. To their credit, these media bodies have published
detailed stories on the killings.
“Apart from the confirmation of the cold murder of two people by
Governor Babajide Sanwolu of Lagos State, a senior surgeon from the
Redington hospital has given evidence of the protesters that were
treated for gun shot wounds.
“Is the United States Government not aware of the fact that some
amputees who lost their legs as a result of the shooting have
appeared before the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry?
“Following the dumping of scores of corpses from October 20-27,
2020 did the Lagos State Government not invite people whose family
members were missing to identify the corpses at the Lagos State
mortuaries?
“Did the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) not
disclose that there were 98 corpses dumped in the mortuaries? From
the information at my disposal, 3 of those corpses have been traced
to Lekki.
“I also know a lady who disclosed that her adopted son died of
gunshots at Lekki toll gate. My law firm has taken up the case of a
28-year old lady who collapsed at Lekki with head injury and later
died at a hospital in Lagos.
“The names of the casualties and amputees will be revealed at
the appropriate time. Even President Buhari told the meeting of
former leaders that 69 people including 51 civilians, 11 police
officers and 7 soldiers had been killed in the unrest.
“The President did not say if the figures included the
protesters allegedly killed by Nigerian army in Lagos. Did the
United States report probe the breakdown of the official
figures?
“So, why should I rely on the very unreliable report compiled in
Washington on the genocidal attacks on unarmed protesters by
soldiers from the barracks who were illegally deployed by the
immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai?”