Business News
Lekki Tollgate Shooting: US says security forces shot in the air, no information on fatalities
The U.S Government has said that the Nigerian security forces fired shots into the air to disperse #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.
The United States Government has said that the Nigerian security forces fired shots into the air to disperse #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on October 20, 2020.
This contradicts allegations from media reports that some eyewitnesses saw soldiers firing live ammunition at the peaceful protesters.
This disclosure is contained in the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nigeria released by the US Department of State on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.
The report pointed out that there was no accurate information on the number of fatalities from the shootings contrary to Amnesty International’s report that 10 people died during the incident as a result of gunshot wounds.
READ: Lagos State police says no protest happened at Lekki Tollgate, describes viral video as fake
What the report on Human Rights Practices on Nigeria is saying
The report partly reads, “On Oct. 20, members of the security forces enforced curfew by firing shots into the air to disperse protesters, who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos to protest abusive practices by the Nigerian Police Force’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available at year’s end.
Amnesty International reported 10 persons died during the event, but the government disputed Amnesty’s report, and no other organisation was able to verify the claim.
READ: Lekki shooting: LCC video footage shows soldiers arriving in several trucks
The government reported two deaths connected to the event. One body from the toll gate showed signs of blunt force trauma.
A second body from another location in Lagos State had bullet wounds. The government acknowledged that soldiers armed with live ammunition were present at the Lekki Toll Gate.”
What you should know
- It can be recalled that in the aftermath of the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Tollgate, US-based media outfit, Cable News Network (CNN), in its investigate report, aired a video allegedly showing Nigerian soldiers shooting at unarmed protesters at the tollgate, based on video evidence from mobile phones and witnesses.
- The Federal Government in its response insisted that the military did not shoot at the #EndSARS protesters, describing the alleged mass killings as a massacre without bodies.
- Also, President Muhammadu Buhari, while expressing his disgust at the coverage of the incident by foreign media organisations like CNN and BBC, said that their reports on the EndSARS protests were not balanced.
Appointments
Standard Bank Group appoints Yinka Sanni as new Chief Executive of Africa Regions
Yinka Sanni has been appointed as Standard Bank Group’s Chief Executive of Africa Regions.
Corporate Press Releases
P2P crypto marketplace, Bitzlato (BZ) partners with Lemonade Finance to ease money transfers across Africa
The partnership will enable users on the BZ platform to buy and sell bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies on the marketplace at zero cost.
Bitzlato (BZ), the latest P2P Crypto Exchange to enter the African market, has added Lemonade.Finance, a borderless payment platform for Africa, as a payment method to its platform.
Lemonade Finance provides 100% digital payment experience for Africans to seamlessly participate in the global economy from anywhere in the world without any hassle or regardless of where they are from.
The partnership will enable users on the BZ platform to buy and sell bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies on the marketplace at zero cost.
Users in Nigeria will now be able to send Nigerian Naira (NGN) to MPESA at 0% transaction fee.
Speaking about this partnership, Ridwan Olarere, CEO, Lemonade Finance, said:
“We are excited to partner with such an innovative company like Bitzlato to connect more Africans through payment. Many Africans living on the continent face many difficulties when making payments as remittance companies charge high fees and are time-consuming. We are now providing our users with a cost-effective way of sending money to Ghana, Kenya, Uk and Europe.”
Commenting on the opportunities this provides to crypto traders on the BZ platform, Mike Lunov, CEO, BZ, said:
“This partnership will provide a much-needed gateway that enables the markets we serve to seamlessly interact with each other in a borderless and open environment. We seek to break the barriers that presently exist for cross border transfers and enable our users to generate value through the opportunities that accrue from cryptocurrencies trading. The innovation exhibited by the Lemonade platform, and the brilliance of its team assures users of top-notch, secure and reliable transfers going forward.”
According to BZ, during the first month, BZ will refund commissions in manual mode while using Lemonade Finance, but this will be automated at the end of this period.
Following this partnership, BZ is now looking to partner with merchants in the crypto space especially in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa that have a steady flow of Nigerian Naira (NGN) to increase liquidity on the platform.
Take advantage of the new Lemonade Finance payment method on BZ, which offers zero transactional fees for money transfers from Nigeria into Kenya. Sign up on BZ and start trading crypto easily today.
