CNN is desperate, says Lai over new report on Lekki shooting

Lai Mohammed, minister of information, has accused CNN of desperation over its new report on the #EndSARS Lekki shooting.

On October 20, 2020, the Nigerian army dispersed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate.

In a report on the incident, CNN alleged that soldiers used live bullets on the protesters, but the army has repeatedly denied this allegation, claiming it only fired blank bullets into the air.

The federal government accused CNN of attempting to set the country on fire with its “inciting report” on the incident and threatened to sanction the broadcaster.

In a follow-up report released on Tuesday, CNN said it obtained the CCTV footage of the October 20 incident submitted by the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) ahead of the judicial panel sitting.

Speaking during a programme on NTA, on Wednesday, the minister of information said there is nothing fresh in the new report.

“It shows that they are desperate. The so-called recent development has been seen before. There is nothing new. If there is anything new, it is a contradiction of CNN’s position,” Mohammed said.

“What we are asking CNN is that where is your evidence? The military has been consistent. CNN contravenes the basic principles of journalism – fairness, and balance.

‘They did the story without contacting the federal government for its own side. They relied on second and third parties narratives.

“They (CNN) were caught spreading fake news and they are trying to escape. We are accusing them of basing their stories on videos sourced on social media. CNN has been inconsistent. It also doctored the video it got. We are confident in our position.”