The Cable News Network (CNN) has released its findings from an independent investigation carried out on the October 20 shooting incident that happened at the Lekki tollgate.
The American news channel also unveiled the identity of one Victor Sunday Ibanga, a protester who reportedly died on the night of the shootings.
According to CNN, a forensic probe of the bullet casings recovered from the scene of the incident revealed that live bullets were fired at the protesters.
It said current and former Nigerian military sources confirmed that the bullet casings “match those used by the army.”
Two ballistics experts also confirmed that the shape of the bullet casings indicate they used live rounds.
The network shared footages of what appears to be soldiers shooting at the #EndSARS protesters who had gathered at the tollgate to press home their demands to end police brutality.
The network also said it worked with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network and “established that several of the bullets from the Lekki toll gate originated from Serbia.
CNN revealed that some export documents it has seen showed that Nigeria purchased weaponry from Serbia almost every year between 2005 and 2016.”
The media house also spoke with some of the protesters who were at the scene when the shooting occurred and they claimed the soldiers indeed fired shots at them.
Recall that the Nigerian Army has repeatedly denied using live rounds, insisting that its soldiers used blank bullets and shot only into the air.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State government had first said no deaths were recorded before Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu revealed that two persons later died from their wounds.
It is still unclear if Ibanga was one of the two since the details were not made public.
There have been inconsistencies between the Lagos State government and the Army regarding the incident that occurred at Lekki Toll Gate on October 20.
However, the CNN investigation has generated a lot of comments from Nigerians on social media.
@Omojuwa tweeted, “Sadly for the NBC, they cannot sanction CNN for “embarrassing” the government with this investigation on the #ENDSARS Lekki Shooting. I wonder what options are available to the NBC at this point. Ban Nigerians from watching CNN and other related news platforms? Ban cable TV?”
@aproko_doctor wrote, I love how CNN is exposing what really happened at the Lekki Tollgate, unfortunately, in Nigeria, the NBC sanctioned media houses for using the same videos that CNN used in analysing the event. A government that silences the truth. Shame!.”
@Oloye_ tweeted, “CNN did a good thing. They didn’t just talk about the story, they actually conducted their investigation into the Lekki massacre and are confronting the Army and Lagos State government with facts.
I expect the government to say the videos are doctored. The Hague is waiting!”
todayng
