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#EndSARS: I spoke truth to power before attack on TVC – Afolabi-Brown

Published

4 years ago

October 21, 2020

The host of breakfast programme, Your View, Morayo Afolabi-Brown, said she had a premonition that Wednesday’s programme would be her last at Television Continental.

Afolabi-Brown said in a post on Facebook on Wednesday night that she was fulfilled she spoke truth to power before hoodlums burnt down TVC office in the Ketu area of Lagos State this morning.

Afolabi-Brown was on air when the hoodlums besieged the station.

Narrating the event of the day, she wrote, “Many have asked this question today. The truth is, we understood our responsibility to our audience to speak.

“I told the ladies yesterday. I said, ‘Tomorrow’s show (today) is likely to be our last show for many reasons.’ I said, ‘We may be attacked or even fired but we must speak the truth to power.’

“I’m so glad I said these words because one of it actually happened.

“It will go down in history that when the chips were down, the ladies of YourView did not back down. We spoke up. I’m glad we did. God bless the new Nigeria of our dreams. #anewnigeria.”

The TV presenter accompanied the post with a video showing her final moments on the programme on Wednesday morning when she questioned the attack by soldiers on Lekki #EndSARS protesters on Tuesday night.

She had said, “Good morning. Yesterday, Lagos was practically mourning the death of many.

“On our governor’s watch, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, armed men, soldiers shot at innocent protesters at Lekki.

“There were hotspots in Lagos, we had in Ajegunle, Orile Iganmu, Mushin where hoodlums took to the streets to destroy properties and destroy others, the military did not go there. They went where peaceful protesters were sitting down singing the national anthem at Lekki toll gate.

“Nigerians have a lot of questions today. So many questions:

“How do we have military in our state and we have no control over them?

“Who ordered the alleged removal of CCTV cameras?

“Why was there a blackout yesterday?

“That’s our conversation today. We want answers. We know our leaders are watching today. Call in, speak truth to power.”

Afolabi-Brown, who said the hoodlums entered in a van, had asked to go on a commercial break.

The station had since then been stuck.

Videos online confirmed by workers at the station said the assailants set fire to the station over its connection to a former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.

Tragedy struck when security operatives, in a bid to disperse #EndSARS protesters, opened fire on the teeming youths at the Lekki tollgate around 7pm on Tuesday.

#EndSARS protesters have been demonstrating against police brutality and extrajudicial killings at the Lekki tollgate for about two weeks.

Similar demonstrations have been staged in different parts of the state and the country while hoodlums had hijacked the protests in some cities including Lagos.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had imposed a 24-hour curfew to stem the tide of the growing violence.

However, some protesters did not vacate the Lekki tollgate which is the epicentre of the protests.

Though the governor said one victim died in a Lagos hospital but eyewitnesses have said about seven persons died in Tuesday attack by the troops.

Tuesday night attack has been condemned locally and internationally.