LekkiShooting: Many people are still missing — Amnesty gives shocking revelations

• Says Nigerian army and police killed peaceful protesters in Lagos

• Releases preliminary report

Amnesty International (AI) on Wednesday released shocking revelations about the shooting of peaceful protesters following the Nationwide protests against the now-dissolved police special anti-robbery squad (SARS).

In its preliminary report, the human rights group released a timeline of the Lekki shootings which it said follow an “on-the-ground investigation” into the incident.

The group said it uncovered how soldiers from the Nigerian army’s Bonny camp opened fire on peaceful protesters.

The army had initially denied having a hand in the incident, but it made a statement on Tuesday night that it got involved because the Lagos government invited it to restore order.

The new timeline of the incident chronicled from how the protest was peaceful, through the firing of gunshots, and up to the statement from Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor, that the army was responsible for the shooting.

Amnesty International said its investigation “has confirmed that the Nigerian army and police killed peaceful protesters” in Lagos.

“This timeline collates video and photograph footage to confirm that army vehicles left the Bonny Camp – a military base approximately a seven-minute drive from the Lekki Toll Gate at 18:29 local time on 20 October,” it said.

“The vehicles are tracked to the Toll Gate. At around 18:45 the Nigerian military opened fire on the protesters.”

Osai Ojigho, AI country director in Nigeria, accused the government of attempting to cover up the shooting at the tollgate.

According to her, “what happened at Lekki Toll Gate has all the traits of the Nigerian authorities’ pattern of a cover-up whenever their defence and security forces commit unlawful killings”.

“The initial denials of the involvement of soldiers in the shooting was followed by the shameful denial of the loss of lives as a result of the military’s attack against the protests,” she said.

“Many people are still missing since the day of the incident, and credible evidence shows that the military prevented ambulances from reaching the severely injured in the aftermath.”