Lekki massacre: ‘All recommendations must be fully implemented’ — Falz speaks on EndSARS panel’s report

Falz, the Nigerian rapper, has reacted to the report presented by the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry into the Lekki tollgate shooting of last year.

Soldiers had stormed the tollgate where protesters had gathered on October 20, 2020, and fired shots — in what appeared to be an attempt to disperse the demonstrators.

But there have been varied reports on the activities of security operatives at the tollgate during the shooting.

Lai Mohammed, the minister for information, had on several occasions said that lives were not lost during the EndSARS protest at Lekki.

But the panel set up by the Lagos government to probe the cases of police brutality recently listed 48 casualties of the protest.

It established, contrary to the federal government’s claims, that nine citizens died and four others went missing.

The panel also said the killing of unarmed protesters at the tollgate could be described in the context of a “massacre”.

Reacting to the report in an Instagram post on Tuesday, Falz demanded that all the recommendations made by the panel must be fully implemented, adding that the “victims deserve justice.”

The rapper also taunted the federal government for “trying to make everyone doubt their sanity” in the heat of the Lekki tollgate shootings.

“I can’t believe these monsters legit made us think that we were mad,” he wrote.

“Something that we watched on Instagram live. Anyway, the panel report is out and it is as clear as day.

“Just in case you thought we would back down at some point. That has never been and will never be an option.

“All these recommendations must be implemented fully!! The least that these innocent souls deserve is Justice.”

In its report, the panel said: “Officers of the Nigerian Army shot, injured and killed unarmed helpless and defenseless protesters, without provocation or justification, while they were waving the Nigerian Flag and singing the National Anthem and the manner of assault and killing could in context be described as a massacre.

“The Panel found that the Nigerian Police Force deployed its officers to the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of the 20th October 2020.

“And between that night and the morning of the 21st of October, 2020, its officers shot at, assaulted, and battered unarmed protesters, which led to injuries and deaths.”