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EndSARS: We Are Unhappy Sanwo-Olu Denied Inviting Army – General Ahmed Taiwo

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4 years ago

November 15, 2020

The Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade , Victoria Island , Lagos , Brig . Gen . Ahmed Taiwo , says the Nigerian Army was unhappy that the Governor of Lagos State , Mr Babajide Sanwo- Olu, denied inviting the military on October 20, 2020, when soldiers shot at the Lekki tollgate where #EndSARS protesters were gathered .

Taiwo said this on Saturday in his testimony before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the Lekki incident .

The general , however , said inviting the military was the best decision the Lagos governor could have made as the #EndSARS protest plunged the state into anarchy but added that the Army was also unhappy that Sanwo- Olu said two persons died from the military engagement at the Lekki tollgate.

He said , “ I spoke with the governor and said the Army was unhappy that he said he did not ask for Army ’s intervention but I am sure that after you watched everything ( video footages) , you saw he had more than enough grounds to ask for Army ’s intervention; perhaps it was the way everything went . ”

The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Lagos governor denied inviting the military to disperse protesters at the Lekki tollgate on October 20 , adding that forces beyond his control were responsible for the Lekki incident .

But the Army Headquarters subsequently said in a statement that the Lagos State government invited the soldiers to the protest ground and that the soldiers acted within the rules of engagement .

The Lagos governor has been under fire since the incident at the Lekki toll gate which has been condemned by local and international civil rights organisations .