Metro
Video: ‘I should have been among those killed’ —#LekkiMassacre Survivor speaks
A man, who identified himself as Jacob Desmond suddenly became emotional while narrating how he survived death two years ago during the #EndSARS protest at Lekki Toll gate in Lagos.
Jacob, who was interviewed by Journalist on Thursday at Lekki Toll Gate, said he witnessed many youths being killed by Nigerian security operatives during the protest.
This same place. This same toll gate. We lost so many young men. I was among those that should have been killed here. My name is Jacob Desmond. I am here this morning because I should have been among those that died that day,” he narrated with teary eyes.
A video shows how Desmond was later arrested by policemen during the interview but was shortly released after he was asked some questions.
Survivor Cries At Lekki Tollgate, Picked Up By Police
A survivor of the Lekki shooting of Tuesday, October 20, 2022, Jacob Desmond, was overcome by emotions at the Lekki Tollgate on Thursday.
As he spoke with journalists later, two policemen arrived and asked him to follow them.
On the night of 20 October 2020, at about 6:50 p.m., members of the Nigerian Army opened fire on unarmed End SARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State, Nigeria. Amnesty International stated that at least 12 protesters were killed during the shooting.
A day after the incident, on 21 October, the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu, initially denied reports of any loss of lives, but later admitted in an interview with a CNN journalist that “only two persons were killed”.
The Nigerian Army initially denied involvement in the shooting, but later stated that it had deployed soldiers to the toll gate on the orders of the governor of Lagos State. A month after the shooting, following a CNN documentary on the shooting, the Nigerian Army admitted to the Lagos Judiciary panel of inquiry into the shooting that it had deployed its personnel to the toll gate with both live and blank bullets.
