The #EndSARS protest has attracted media coverage from both local and international press. Following the #LekkiMassacre on the protest ground at the Lekki Toll-Gate, attempts have been made by the media to uncover the mystery behind who ordered security operatives to murder peaceful protesters on that fateful night of 20 October 2020. As the Governor presiding over the affairs of Lagos, where the heinous crime was perpetrated, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was invited to interviews with local and international media seeking to unearth the truth about the unfortunate incident. His most recent interview was with Becky Anderson of CNN.

Here are seven takeaways from the interview. 

1. Governor Sanwo-Olu admitted that more than one person died from the shootings at the Lekki Toll-Gate, a fact he had previously denied.

He said: “Two dead bodies, that’s what we’ve seen from all the morgues… that’s what we’ve seen as records.”

2. He accepted that the Nigerian Army carried out the shootings when the interviewer asked which branch of security services were involved in the shootings. 

His response was:

“From the footage that we can see; there are cameras at that facility… it seems to be that there would be men in military uniform which should be Nigerian Army or something.”

He gave an emphatic “Yes” when probed further by the interviewer.

Becky: “So you’re saying it was military officers who ordered peaceful protesters be shot at Lekki?”

Governor Sanwo-Olu: “Yes, they were there, that’s what the footage shows.”

3. The governor said the CCTV footage will constitute part of the investigation into the shootings when asked if it would be used for the investigation he had called for.

He said: “…Certainly it will be, and it’s starting on Monday. They are going to be all available for the judicial panel to review.”

4. When asked if he was committed to a full investigation of the #LekkiMassacre, Sanwo-Olu said:

“Absolutely,” stating that the culprits will be held accountable.

In a country where impunity has been the order of the day, where many people are yet fighting for the deserved justice for various crimes committed against them and their loved ones, where it is easy for our leaders to say one thing and do the exact opposite; we can only hope that the governor is not just bluffing but will see to it that justice is served for every bloodshed during the protest and every limb lost.

5. He described the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) with the following words:

“It’s a group that has been ill-trained… ill-motivated and they’ve not been equipped with the standard operating template for them to know and appreciate the level of their responsibility in our society. That’s why it seems they just went off the cuff completely. Probably because they’ve not been well compensated… everybody that drives a flashy car, maybe they think they can extort.”

Indeed, all these and more describe the controversial SARS unit and by extension, the Police Force as far as Nigerians are concerned. And these are some of the reasons why the genuine reforms Nigerians are calling for must not be overlooked by our leaders, who seem to be doing just that by doing a mere rebranding of the unit instead.

6. The governor said the response of the government to the protesters’ demands had nothing to do with international pressure when asked by the interviewer if the international community influenced their actions.

He said:

“There are no international pressures whatsoever. These are genuine protesters that we all believe, we all acknowledge.”

But Nigerians have their doubts about this because there was hardly any response to the protesters’ demands from the government until prominent members of the international community joined their voices with Nigerians to amplify the protests across the globe.

7. Governor Sanwo-Olu said he genuinely believes there would be change as a result of what has happened over the last two weeks.

“I genuinely believe that there would be change for two reasons. You know what has happened in Lagos is extremely unimaginable, that’s number one. Number two, it was a clarion call for all of us in government… especially understanding and realizing what the youth want; what they truly want us to be doing and it hit all of us like a thunderbolt.

It is hoped that the struggle that has claimed many lives will not be in vain but will indeed, bring about the genuine change Nigerians desire, as the international and local media play their part in monitoring the events.

Watch the interview here: