[JUST IN] #EndSARS: Army admits taking live bullets to Lekki toll gate

The Nigerian Army has said it took live rounds to Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020, when #EndSARS protesters were dispersed after two weeks of converging on the place.

Ibrahim Taiwo, Commander of the 81 division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Ibrahim Taiwo disclosed this while testifying before the judicial panel set up by the Lagos State Government to probe the incident on Saturday.

Speaking on the incident while being cross examined by Olumide Fusika (SAN), Taiwo said the live rounds were not used on protesters.

He said they were meant for the protection of the army team that was deployed to restore order in the state.

The army commander said while the soldiers who opened fire used blank bullets, their colleagues with live rounds were on ground to protect them from suspected hoodlums who fomented trouble.

Taiwo also said Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was misinformed about the incident at Lekki toll gate.

The army commander said it is not correct to say anyone died as a result of the shooting at the toll gate.

When he featured in ARISE TV, 24 hours after the shooting at the toll gate, Sanwo-Olu had said no one died from the incident.

But hours later, he tweeted that he had received information about the death of one person.

“Information reaching us now is that a life was lost at Reddington Hospital due to blunt force trauma to the head. It is an unfortunate and very sad loss. This is an isolated case. We are still investigating if he was a protester,” Sanwo-Olu posted on his Twitter handle.

But during his cross-examination by Fusika, Taiwo said  no one died from the incident.

When the lawyer told him about Sanwo-Olu’s position on the incident, Taiwo simply said: “The governor was misinformed.”