Nigeria’s federal government has rejected a report by a judicial panel that concluded the October 2020 shooting of protesters at Lekki toll gate could be described as a massacre by the military that officials tried to cover up. Information Minister Lai Mohammed Tuesday said the panel’s report, which was leaked and widely shared on social media last week, was “nothing but the triumph of fake news.” Speaking at a press conference in the nation’s capital Abuja, Mohammed doubled down on the government’s persistent denial of the Lekki shooting, saying: “That report is nothing but the triumph of fake news and the intimidation of a silent majority by a vociferous lynch mob.” The minister also criticized CNN for “celebrating” the report in a “rush to claim vindication.” However, a member of the panel Segun Awosanya told CNN Wednesday that the panel’s findings were based on objectivity and facts. He added that the minister’s comment was improper coming at a time the country was still healing from the Lekki incident.SOURCE: CNN
More Stories
Mo Ibrahim’s Index Looks at Africa’s State of Governance
France to Give Burkina Faso What It Wants
Africa Has to Work on Feeding Itself
Mali Basketballer Disappointed with Treatment after Whistleblowing
Kenya Changes the Rules of Engagement
For Many, the Pope’s Visit is the Peace they Need
Algeria Unveils Series of Policies Aimed at Eliminating its Dependence on Fossil Fuels
Lagos Seaport Garners Support from the Masses
Sierra Leone Women Given Right to Own Land
History About East Africa’s Art Scene
Uganda Launches its First Oil Drilling Programme
Looking at a Decade of Uber’s Operations in Africa