TheNewsGuru

Tag: #EndSARS Accounts

  • #EndSARS Lekki shooting 2nd anniversary: Lagos police debunks shooting gunshots (VIDEO)

    #EndSARS Lekki shooting 2nd anniversary: Lagos police debunks shooting gunshots (VIDEO)

    Following reports that the police agents on Thursday morning fired teargas at Lekki toll-gate as a memorial procession took place, the spokesperson of the Lagos state police command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, has said the teargas canisters were fired because some of the Nigerians staging the memorial walk decided to be lawless and started mounting the toll complex.

    He explained that this was an action that threatened the existing law and order in the area and so teargas canisters were fired to disperse them.

    EndSARS Lekki shooting 2nd anniversary: - Lagos police debunks shooting gunshots

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that some Nigerians including celebrities like Nigerian rapper, Folarin Falana, aka Falz, and actor Mr. Macaroni, staged a memorial walk along the tollgate this morning to mark the day.

    Remember that the drive/walk-through procession was announced by Falz on his Instagram page on Wednesday.

    However, pandemonium broke when tear gas canisters were fired as well as water canons by the police.

    According to a flier shared by Falz, the procession will mirror the first anniversary, where citizens drove, and walked through the tollgate to remember the victims. Part of the banner read, “#EndSARS Memorial 2.0 procession.”

    In memory of those who were killed on October 20, 2022, and those we have lost to police brutality, we will walk and drive through the toll gate, blast horns, sing and chat in unison through the toll gate, and wave our flags.”

    Recall that CNN’s investigation had revealed the Nigerian army fired live rounds into crowds at Lekki toll gate, killing and wounding several people.

    EndSARS Lekki shooting 2nd anniversary: - Lagos police debunks shooting gunshots

    At least 46 unarmed protesters were either shot dead, injured with bullets, or assaulted by security forces at the Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020, the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters has said.

    In its 309-page report – ‘Report Of Lekki Incident Investigation Of 20th October 2020’, presented to the Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, the panel said soldiers shot live ammunition at armless protesters intending to kill and maim them.

    The nine deceased persons mentioned in the report are Victor Ibanga, Abuta Solomon, Jide, Olalekan Ashafa, Olamilekan Ajasa, Kolade Salami, Folorunsho Olabisi, Kenechukwu Ugoh, and Nathaniel Solomon.

    The report described Abiodun Adesanya, Ifeanyi Eji, Tola, and Wisdom as “missing and presumed dead.” It stated that 22 sustained gunshot injuries and 11 were assaulted by military officers.

    The report said that officers and soldiers of 65 Batallion of the Nigerian Army, “led by Lt. Col Bello, left their base with blank and live ammunitions to confront and disperse youths holding only their national flags, with live bullets,” the report partly reads.

    “The soldiers actually shot blank and live bullets directly and pointedly into the midst of the protesters at the Lekki Tollgate, with the deliberate intention to assault, maim and kill.”

    “The soldiers turned back ambulances that were invited to render first aid and assistance to the wounded protesters.”

    The Doris Okuwobi-led panel in the report said the “atrocious maiming and killing of unarmed, helpless and unresisting protesters while sitting on the floor and waving their Nigerian flags while singing the National Anthem can be equated to a ‘massacre’ in context.”

    See teargassing moment video below:

  • Access Bank breaks silence on freezing of #EndSARS campaigners accounts

    Access Bank breaks silence on freezing of #EndSARS campaigners accounts

    The management of Access Bank on Friday gave reasons why it froze the accounts of its customers linked to #EndSARS protest.

    The Bank in a statement in Abuja said it only only obeyed a directive of the regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), based on a valid court order.

    It however, sympathised with the affected customers, adding that it hoped the matter would be resolved “as soon as possible.”

    The bank expressed surprise that it was being targeted negatively in spite of evidence it was not behind the customers’ ordeals.

    “We want to express our sympathy for the inconvenience that eight of our customers are going through due to the restrictions on their accounts as mandated by a Federal court order. We are eager for this to be resolved as soon as possible.

    “It is common knowledge that we and the entire banking industry are regulated entities and therefore operate under the authority of our regulators and law enforcement agencies. As such we are compelled to comply with regulatory directives.

    “While acknowledging the concern of all well-meaning parties, we urge that enquiries and views be channeled to the relevant regulatory and judicial agencies where the matter is receiving attention. It is therefore surprising that some individuals still choose to target Access Bank in a negative manner despite not being the source of the action,” the bank said.

    It added that it has always been at the forefront of innovative efforts in support of the development of Nigeria, saying that it embraced the role being the largest employer of labour, which are largely youths.

    “Access Bank has always led the way with regard to support for young Nigerians in terms of capacity building and development of SMEs.

    “We continue to be concerned by the inconvenience that our affected customers are experiencing. We stand ready to play our part to remedy the situation and have them using their accounts as quickly as possible,” the bank said.