Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has maintained his controversial stance that no lives were lost at the Lekki tollgate during the October 20, 2020 EndSARS protest.
The ex-minister, however, acknowledged that several Nigerians, including security operatives, perished during the nationwide demonstrations, but insisted the Lekki tollgate witnessed no fatalities.
Mohammed doubled down on his position during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, reiterating claims he has consistently made over the past five years.
“Five years later, my position has not changed. At no point did the government ever say that lives were not lost during EndSARS.
“We lost several lives, including soldiers and policemen, but nobody was killed at the toll gate,” he said.
The former minister revealed he maintained regular contact with military authorities before troops were deployed to Lagos to quell the unrest that had gripped the state.
“Even before the soldiers were drafted, I was in touch with the Chief of Defence Staff. I was in touch with the hierarchy of the military because we were monitoring these developments.
“It’s a very simple logic. Five years after, nobody has come out Today to say, ‘My ward went to the toll gate, and he didn’t come back’”, Mohammed said.