A senior Nigerian minister lashed out against CNN Thursday, saying the network should be sanctioned over its investigation, which uncovered evidence that the Nigerian army and police opened fire on unarmed protestors on October 20.

CNN’s investigation focused on a demonstration against police brutality, led by the largely peaceful “#EndSARS” movement.

Minister for Information and Culture Lai Mohammed Thursday dismissed the CNN investigation as “fake news” and “misinformation,” repeatedly denying the military used live rounds against protesters.

“Like everyone else, I watched the CNN report. I must tell you that it reinforces the disinformation that is going around, and it is blatantly irresponsible and a poor piece of journalistic work by a reputable international news organization,” he told reporters at a press conference in Abuja, in the most significant federal government response so far to the October 20 violence.

“This is very serious and CNN should be sanctioned for that,” he said.

CNN stands by its investigation, a company spokesperson said.

“Our reporting was carefully and meticulously researched, and we stand by it,” the spokesperson said via email.

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.

Protesters Victor Sunday Ibanga, left, and Wisdom Okon. Their families say they haven't seen them since the protest on October 20.

Protesters Victor Sunday Ibanga, left, and Wisdom Okon. Their families say they haven’t seen them since the protest on October 20.

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, a 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 also included comments from army representative Brigadier Ahmed Taiwo, testifying before the tribunal. He denied that soldiers would shoot at Nigerian citizens.

The investigation was broadcast and published on Wednesday and cast doubt on Nigerian authorities’ shifting and changing statements over what happened at the protest at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.

Addressing reporters, Mohammed insisted that “the military did not shoot at the protesters at the toll gate” but fired blank ammunitions into the air, blaming looters for the violence which broke out on the night of October 20.

“Six soldiers and 37 policemen were killed all over the country during the crisis,” Mohammed said.

“CNN relied heavily on unreliable and possibly doctored videos as well as information sources from questionable sources to reach these conclusions,” he continued.

He did not provide any evidence the videos were doctored.

The CNN report included evidence that bullet casings from the scene matched those used by the Nigerian army when shooting live rounds, according to current and former Nigerian military officials.

Two ballistics experts also confirmed with CNN that the shape of the bullet casings indicate they used live rounds, which contradicts the army’s claim they fired blanks.

While the Minister for Information and Culture asserted that “not a single family” has reported the death of relatives during the protest on October 20, the Chief Coroner of Lagos State has since issued a public call for all those who have “lost loved ones between 19 — 27 October 2020” to come forward and provide evidence which could assist in the “identification exercise.”

During his press briefing on Thursday, the Minister denied reports of fatalities at the protest.

“As I said earlier, what started as a peaceful protest against police brutality quickly degenerated into incredible violence despite an immediate response to the demands by the government,” he said.

“While we await the Judicial Panel in Lagos to unravel what transpired at the Lekki toll gate, what we can say, based on testimonies available in the public space, is that the world may have just witnessed, for the very first time ever, a massacre without bodies,” he added.

Read and watch CNN's full investigation

Read and watch CNN’s full investigation

According to Mohammed, the National Economic Council (NEC) directed the “immediate establishment” of a state-based judicial panel of inquiry on October 15 — before the Lekki toll gate incident, but after protests against violence had begun — to investigate complaints of police brutality and extrajudicial killings.

Eyewitnesses have since told CNN that the government’s comments are “lies,” making them feel as though they had “hallucinated the whole event.”

“Haven’t they hurt us enough? I still close my eyes and see the blood and hear the screams,” another eyewitness said.

During the press conference, Mohammed said the federal government continues to be “very satisfied” with the role played by security agencies — especially the military and police — through the protests.

Source :CNN

The Ooni of Ife and his wife, Olori Silekunola Naomi Ogunwusi on Wednesday welcomed a baby boy, a Prince of Ife.

While announcing the development on his Twitter handle ,Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi who described the development as a joyous one for the entire Oduduwa house said both mother and child were fine and hearty.

He tweeted “To God be the glory great things he has done.

“Hearty congratulations to the entire House of Oduduwa and Olori Silekunola who today birthed a Prince to the Royal throne of Oduduwa.

Mother and child are doing well to the glory of God Almighty.”

A statement by Moses Olafare ,Oba Ogunwusi’s spokesperson confirmed the development, saying “The Almighty Olodumare has blessed the House Oduduwa with a Crown Prince as our mother Yeyeluwa, Olori Silekunola Naomi Ogunwusi gave birth to a bouncing baby boy at the early hours of this morning, Wednesday 18th November 2020.

It is a tortuous journey for Eromosele Adene, an #EndSARS protester, as he will be arraigned before a Chief Magistrate in Lagos on Tuesday.

The embattled youth was arrested in Lagos on November 7 by the police and whisked to Abuja, the nation’s capital days later.

Eromosele is charged with allegations of aiding the #EndSARS protest in Lagos.

The case was initially scheduled to hold on Monday on allegations of financial support to the youth protest that was later hijacked by hoodlums in some states in the country.

His sister, Onomene, had explained that she was used as bait by a group of security operatives to get to her brother.

Onomene, who was a guest recently on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said she got a call from a man who claimed to be a former church member and who had a parcel to deliver to her father who is the pastor of the church.

On getting to the meeting venue, she stated that she could not figure out the man’s face, and as she approached him, she discovered that the parcel was not what the man claimed it was.

Eromosele’s sister added that they were later joined on the spot by more policemen before she was asked to take them to their house where the embattled protester was arrested.

She condemned the arrested of her brother and called for his release, saying he has a liver infection, and his continued detention was harmful to his health.

Source: Channels TV

Sixteen #EndSARS campaigners have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to reverse the restriction placed on their accounts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The CBN had frozen the accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners through an ex-parte order obtained from Justice Ahmed Mohammed to back his action.

In a supporting affidavit, the apex bank had also alleged that the #EndSARS campaigners may have received their funding through acts of terrorism and asked the judge to swiftly freeze the accounts.

However, 16 of the affected persons filed a motion on Thursday through their lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), to set aside the order.

The 16 applicants include Bolatito ‘Rinu’ Oduala, who is a member of the panel set up by the Lagos State Government to look into police brutality, Chima Ibebunjoh, Mary Kpengwa, Saadat Bibi, Bassey Israel, Wisdom Obi, Nicholas Osazele, Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Yusuf, Uhuo Promise, Mosopefoluwa Odeseye, Adegoke Pamilerin, Umoh Ekanem, Babatunde Segun, Mary Oshifowora and Idunnu Williams.

While contending that the freezing of their bank accounts was an act of illegality, they stressed that the CBN Governor, Ifeanyi Emefiele froze the accounts before approaching the court much later for a freezing order.

They also argued that the court order permitting Emefiele to freeze their accounts for 90 days was a violation of their right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

The #EndSARS campaigners argued that Justice Mohammed’s 90-day freezing order violated Order 26 Rules 5, 10 and 11(1) and (2) of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2019, which prescribes a maximum of 14 days for the validity of an ex parte order.

Faulting their being labelled as terrorist by the CBN governor, the #EndSARS campaigners said the CBN was neither one of the investigating nor prosecuting agencies recognised under the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011 and the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

Marshal Abubakar, who deposed to an affidavit filed in support of the suit, said the claimants’ accounts were frozen in October by CBN without any justification as the bank provided no evidence to back its terrorism claim.

He added that all the persons whose accounts were frozen had never been arrested for any crime before, adding that they were only protesters whose right to protest was recently reiterated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Source: Channels TV