By Ayo Kehinde
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state has appealed for calm following the tension in the state over the killing of peaceful #End SARS protesters at the Lekki Toll gate in Lagos by soldiers on Friday night.
Currently ongoing in the state is the burning of vehicles, government and private buildings like the Federal Road Safety, FRSC and Vehicle Inspection Officer, VIO, in Ojodu; viewing center in Oregun; TV Continental; Lagos State TV; GTBank and Zenith Bank in Lekki; Nigeria Ports Authority in Marina and the residence of governor Sanwo-Olu’s mother in Surulere as well as many Bus Rapid Buses parked at Oyingbo areas of the state.
So far 49 persons are said to have died from the shooting while many who sustained injuries are struggling for their lives in hospitals in the state. The protesters were killed hours before the starting of the 24-hr curfew imposed by the governor on Friday.
Addressing Lagos residents at the early hours of the day said he did not authorize the deployment of soldiers to the toll gate and repeated his earlier support for the protesters but regretted the invasion of those he called miscreant, which led to the wanton violence on the state before the imposed curfew.
He promised to find get to the root of the action of the soldiers.
He said; “I declared my affinity for the protest, took their demand for five to President Buhari and Mohammed Adamu, Inspector General of Police and I can say they were being acceded to.
“Fellow Lagosians, events took a turn of Saturday as criminal elements took advantage of the instructions to the police not to shoot any protester. No sitting governor controls the rule of engagement with the police, but I have set up investigation of the engagement of soldiers deployed to Lekki Too Gate with a view to taking up findings with Mr President, Buhari
“I have set up an investigation panel to unravel who authorized it and I will seek intervention of MrPresident as the Commander- in- Chief to unravel what happened last night.”
