Lekki shootings: We stand by our report, says CNN

International news Network, CNN, has said its Wednesday’s report on the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020, was “carefully and meticulously researched”.

It stated this on Thursday in response to comments by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that the news platform was reckless and sensational by relying on unverified videos sourced from social media for the report.

CNN claimed in the investigative report that soldiers fired live ammunition at the Lekki tollgate protesters, a claim which Mohammed denied on Thursday for which he said “CNN should be sanctioned.”

The minister also described the event of October 20, 2020, as a “massacre without bodies”, insisting that not a single body had been produced or a single family had come out to claim their family member was killed at the Lekki tollgate.

Reacting in another story titled, ‘Nigeria threatens CNN with sanctions but provides no evidence Lekki tollgate investigation is inaccurate’, CNN said it stood by its earlier report on the Lekki incident.

“Our reporting was carefully and meticulously researched, and we stand by it,” it stated.

It added, “The report was based on testimony from dozens of witnesses, and photos and video obtained and geolocated by CNN. It painted a picture of how members of the Nigerian army and the police shot at the crowd, killing at least one person and wounding dozens more.

“CNN verified photos and videos acquired from multiple eyewitnesses and protesters using timestamps and other data from the video files. Video footage shows soldiers who appear to be shooting in the direction of protesters. And accounts from eyewitnesses established that after the army withdrew, the second round of shooting happened later in the evening.

“Prior to publishing the report, CNN tried multiple times to elicit comment from the Nigerian army and police. A Lagos State police spokesman declined to comment because of an ongoing investigation. While a statement from the Lagos State government said that there would be no comment while a judicial tribunal was underway.”

CNN in what it called an investigative report claimed soldiers fired live ammunition at protesters at the Lekki tollgate, a claim which Mohammed denied on Thursday for which he said “CNN should be sanctioned.”

The minister also described the event of October 20, 2020, as a “massacre without bodies”, insisting that not a single body has been produced or a single family has come out to claim their family member was killed at the Lekki tollgate.

Reacting in another story titled, ‘Nigeria threatens CNN with sanctions but provides no evidence Lekki tollgate investigation is inaccurate’, CNN said it stood by its earlier report on the Lekki incident.

“Our reporting was carefully and meticulously researched, and we stand by it,” it stated.

It added, “The report was based on testimony from dozens of witnesses, and photos and video obtained and geolocated by CNN. It painted a picture of how members of the Nigerian army and the police shot at the crowd, killing at least one person and wounding dozens more.

“CNN verified photos and videos acquired from multiple eyewitnesses and protesters using timestamps and other data from the video files. Video footage shows soldiers who appear to be shooting in the direction of protesters. And accounts from eyewitnesses established that after the army withdrew, the second round of shooting happened later in the evening.

“Prior to publishing the report, CNN tried multiple times to elicit comment from the Nigerian army and police. A Lagos State police spokesman declined to comment because of an ongoing investigation. While a statement from the Lagos State government said that there would be no comment while a judicial tribunal was underway.”

International news Network, CNN, has said its Wednesday report on the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020, was “carefully and meticulously researched”.

It stated this in on Thursday in response to comments by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that the news platform recklessly sensational by relying on unverified videos sourced from social media for the report.

CNN in what it called an investigative report claimed soldiers fired live ammunition at protesters at the Lekki tollgate, a claim which Mohammed denied on Thursday for which he said “CNN should be sanctioned.”

The minister also described the event of October 20, 2020, as a “massacre without bodies”, insisting that not a single body has been produced or a single family has come out to claim their family member was killed at the Lekki tollgate.

Reacting in another story titled, ‘Nigeria threatens CNN with sanctions but provides no evidence Lekki tollgate investigation is inaccurate’, CNN said it stood by its earlier report on the Lekki incident.

“Our reporting was carefully and meticulously researched, and we stand by it,” it stated.

It added, “The report was based on testimony from dozens of witnesses, and photos and video obtained and geolocated by CNN. It painted a picture of how members of the Nigerian army and the police shot at the crowd, killing at least one person and wounding dozens more.

“CNN verified photos and videos acquired from multiple eyewitnesses and protesters using timestamps and other data from the video files. Video footage shows soldiers who appear to be shooting in the direction of protesters. And accounts from eyewitnesses established that after the army withdrew, the second round of shooting happened later in the evening.

“Prior to publishing the report, CNN tried multiple times to elicit comment from the Nigerian army and police. A Lagos State police spokesman declined to comment because of an ongoing investigation. While a statement from the Lagos State government said that there would be no comment while a judicial tribunal was underway.”