BY Ayodele Oluwafemi
Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has demanded that Amnesty International (AI) show proof of the 12 people reportedly killed during the shooting at the Lekki toll gate or “shut up”.
To commemorate 100 days since October 20, 2020, when soldiers stormed the Lekki toll gate where #EndSARS protesters had gathered, Amnesty International issued a statement alleging that the Nigerian authorities have resorted to intimidating demonstrators and covering up the incident, instead of ensuring justice for those killed.
AI also demanded the suspension of officials indicted in the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters at Lekki, Lagos state.
But Lai Mohammad, minister of information and culture, in an interview with NAN on Thursday, said the human rights organisation is gradually losing credibility, and urged AI to come out with evidence of the people allegedly killed by the military.
“They will soon lose their respect and credibility if they continue to operate this double standard,” Mohammed said.
“If Amnesty International has any proof, it should come out with it or shut up.
“After a lot of dillydally, Amnesty International said 12 people were shot at the Lekki tollgate. They should take advantage of the judicial panel of enquiry set up by Lagos state to tell the names and addresses of the 12 people they claim were shot at the toll gate.”
The information minister also accused AI of double standards in its reaction to issues happening in Nigeria and other countries, and cited the example of the Capitol Hill invasion in the United States.
“American government has vowed that they will search, arrest and prosecute anybody involved in the attack on Capitol Hill,” he said.
“When Nigeria wanted to arrest and prosecute those hoodlums responsible for the killing of 37 policemen, six soldiers during the EndSARS protest, Amnesty International will find fault.
“At the Lekki toll gate incident in Lagos, they described the hoodlums as peaceful protesters, while the people who invaded Capitol Hill in the US were called insurrectionists.
“When the US government denied the investigators from the International Criminal Court visa to enter the US, we did not hear a word from Amnesty International.”
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