The Nigerian army has expressed its disappointment with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s insistence on not inviting them to intervene in the #EndSARS crisis in Lagos state. 

Brigadier AI Taiwo who shared the Nigerian army’s account of the Lekki Toll Gate Shooting at the resumed sitting of the Lagos judicial panel on Saturday November 14, stated that Governor Sanwo-Olu called on the military for support on October 20 after the #EndSARS crisis degenerated into “violence.”

He said; 

“I spoke with the governor and said the army was unhappy that he said he did not ask the army to intervene. But I’m sure, after we’ve watched everything, we saw he had more than reasonable grounds to ask the army to intervene. 

“Perhaps, it was the way everything went that made him say so.”

Recall that Sanwo-Olu who reacted to the outrage that trailed the shooting, had blamed it on “forces beyond our direct control”.  

Also appearing on CNN, the Lagos state Governor who confirmed that the army was responsible for the incident, denied having a hand in it. 

He said in the interview; 

 “From the footage we could see, because there were some cameras at that facility, it seems to me that they would be men in military uniform—it should be Nigerian Army or something.”

When asked if he meant the military opened fire on protesters, Sanwo-Olu said in response; 

“Yes. That’s what the footage showed.”