Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has been criticised on Twitter over his reaction to CNN’s Lekki story.
The damning report by CNN stated that soldiers used live ammunition manufactured by a Serbian company in 2005 on protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20.
The report also debunked the Nigerian Army’s claim that no one died in the incident.
In a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the minister described the report as “irresponsible”.
He maintained that, contrary to CNN’s Lekki story, soldiers fired blanks into the air and not at protesters.
Mohammed called for sanctions against the international news network.
Watch video:
CNN should be sanctioned for misinformation on Lekki shootings – Lai Mohammed
🎥 : TVC News#EndSARS #LekkiMassaccre #LekkiGenocide pic.twitter.com/0W9UtijxzS
— The Herald (@HeraldNG) November 19, 2020
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Reacting, some Nigerians disagreed with the minister on CNN’s Lekki story.
Award-winning Nigerian journalist, Fisayo Soyombo wrote, ” Lai Mohammed is branding @CNN’s report on Lekki ‘irresponsible’ and calling for sanctions against them.
“A toothless statement. Arrest the CNN journalists if you really can.”
A social media influencer, Akeem Badmus, wrote, “If Lai Mohammed is saying that CNN should be sanctioned over its #EndSARS investigation, then what he’s saying is everyone who recorded/went live at Lekki on 20/10/2020 should be unjustly sanctioned, because I’ve seen over 90% of the video mashup done by CNN before yesterday”
A doctor, Nomso Egemba wrote, “How exactly does Lai Mohammed plan to sanction CNN?
“Rather than take the findings from the investigation and do something about it, your plan is to cast aspersions on CNN
“All the comedians in Nigeria should resign, we have comedy for days. The only problem is we’re not laughing.”
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