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EndSARS: Real reason Buhari govt is discrediting panel report – Law Mefor
Dr. Law Mefor, Director, Igbo Leadership Development Foundation School, has revealed the reason behind the Federal Government’s position on the recently released panel report on the Lekki Toll Gate shooting.
Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, had on Tuesday insisted that nobody was killed by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate when soldiers of the Nigerian Army allegedly opened fire on innocent protesters on October 20, 2020.
This was after the Panel of Investigation set up by the Lagos State Government to unravel the incident at the Lekki tollgate and other parts of the state indicted the military, the police and many others.
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A top army officer, Maj. Gen. Taiwo, had told the panel that the order came from the then Chief of Army Staff, Lit.Gen. Tukur Buratai, who in turn got instructions from the President.
And Mr. Law Mefor, in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, said the government had no choice but to deny the incident because the international community was now interested in it and someone could be tried at the International Criminal Court.
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“The rejection of the EndSARS report by the Federal Government should not surprise anybody. Lai Mohammed described the report as ‘tale by moonlight’, declaring that nothing would make the federal government accept that there was a massacre at Lekki Gate,” he said.
“It means the government is not actually after the truth. Recall that the same Lai Mohammed earlier said that nobody died at Lekki long before the panel began their sitting.
“They also denied that soldiers were drafted to Lekki during the protest. They said the soldiers went with rubber bullets when the overwhelming video evidence showed they were lying and they had accepted the drafting of soldiers.
“Then, we heard the President say the EndSARS protest was meant to oust him from power.
“You can see what led to the drafting of soldiers to quell the peaceful protest since the thinking was that the protesters were coupists.
“The international community is now interested and the government wants to discredit the report at all costs. The reason is simple: you cannot use soldiers to quell peaceful protests and kill your own unarmed citizens in the process.
“It can lead to prosecution of somebody at the Intl Criminal Court, ICC. That’s what the shenanigans of Lai Mohammed is all about.
“But somebody should ask Lai Mohammed and Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state: are soldiers supposed to be drafted to Lekki Gate to quell a peaceful protest even if the citizens waving the Nigerian flag and singing the national anthem were not killed?
“How do they sleep after killing their own defenceless people? I shudder about Nigerian citizens. Our life is now worth nothing,” he said.
Daily Post
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Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
Early Wednesday morning, gunmen attacked an army checkpoint in Ekenobizi, a border community between Abia and Imo states, located in Umuopara, Umuahia South Local Government Area.
The assailants reportedly arrived around 6:18 a.m. in a white Lexus SUV (model 350/400) and launched an assault that resulted in the deaths of two soldiers.
A military source, who wished to remain anonymous, provided details of the incident but could not confirm the exact number of attackers involved.
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Confirming the incident in a press release on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA said: “In the early hours of today, 13 November 2024, troops of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA, deployed at a checkpoint along the Umuahia – Owerri Road in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, came under attack by the irredentist group Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network.
“During the attack, the gallant troops were able to repel the assault, forcing the attackers to retreat in disarray with gunshot wounds, abandoning one Sienna and one Lexus Jeep used in the attack. However, in the ensuing firefight, two soldiers paid the supreme price.”
The Joint Task Force appealed to residents of the South East, particularly those in Abia State, for credible information to help track down the fleeing attackers and combat criminal elements in the region.
The force reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property in line with global best practices and the rules of engagement.
Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
metro
94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
At least 94 illegal occupants and squatters along the railway corridor from Pen Cinema to Fagba were arrested by the Lagos State Taskforce in an early morning sting operation on Wednesday.
During the raid, substances suspected to be hard drugs—such as Indian hemp, colorado, and other harmful drugs—were seized, along with various weapons.
It was gathered that those arrested attempted to resist the task force’s actions.
In a statement, Director of Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, confirmed that those arrested will face prosecution.
He added that the agency dismantled shanties and makeshift structures along the railway corridor, clearing a distance of some kilometers.
The Taskforce Chairman Adetayo Akerele explained that the eviction aimed to provide relief for residents around the Fagba, Agege, and Pen Cinema railway routes, following numerous complaints from the public about criminal activities in the area.
He noted that the squatting had violated environmental and sanitary regulations.
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Akerele also highlighted the health and safety risks posed by the presence of squatters along the rail corridor.
He warned the evicted individuals not to return and assured residents and train passengers that regular patrols and surveillance would be conducted to prevent the re-establishment of shanties in the area.
“The rail tracks are not meant for habitation or the sale of narcotics. Anyone caught converting this place into a den of criminals or an area of residence will face severe consequences according to the law,” Akerele was quoted as saying.
Speaking on the raid, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that a locally fabricated short gun was recovered.
“94 suspects were arrested during the midnight operation; a locally fabricated short gun and several wraps of illicit substance suspected to be indian hemp, charm and a jack knife were recovered.
“The suspects will be charged to court accordingly,” Wahab stated in a post on X.
94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
metro
Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has swept out all Board, Parastatal, and Agency appointees from his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, in a decisive move to overhaul the state’s public service.
A statement released on Wednesday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, confirmed the immediate dismissal of all political appointees and Permanent Secretaries brought in from outside the state Civil Service.
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The statement reads:
“For the information of the general public, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State, has approved the dissolution of Executives of all Boards, Agencies, and Parastatals in the Edo State Public Service with immediate effect.
“In addition, all Permanent Secretaries appointed from outside the State Public/Civil Service and all Political Appointees are hereby relieved of their appointments.”
Affected individuals have been directed to return all government property in their possession to the senior Public Officers in their respective Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
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