General
Lekki Massacre: FG Calls Lagos Panel Report Waste of Taxpayers’ Funds

By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The federal government has picked holes in the leaked report submitted to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry that investigated cases of police brutality as well as the incident of October 20, 2020, at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, in a media briefing on Tuesday, described the report as a waste of “taxpayers’ funds and everyone’s time” because it “is nothing but the triumph of fake news and the intimidation of a silent majority by a vociferous lynch mob.”
He slammed the panel headed by a retired justice, Mrs Dorcas Okuwobi, for submitting “a report laden with allegations, the same allegations it was set up to investigate in the first instance.”
According to him, “never in the history of any judicial panel in this country has its report been riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies, speculations, innuendoes, omissions and conclusions that are not supported by evidence.”
“What is circulating in public space is simply a rehash of the unverified fake news that has been playing on social media since the incident of October 20, 2020,” he added.
Mr Mohammed questioned the use of massacre in context in the Lagos panel report to describe the action of the federal government agencies like the military and the police last year, when peaceful protesters sitting on the ground waving the national flag and reciting the national anthem were allegedly shot and killed and beamed live on Instagram by DJ Switch, who is now on exile.
“Why did the judicial panel feel compelled to concoct a massacre in context as a euphemism for massacre? A massacre is a massacre. What is massacre in context?” the Minister queried.
“It is clear, from the ongoing, that the report of the panel in circulation cannot be relied upon because its authenticity is in doubt. Besides, the Lagos State Government, being the convening authority, has yet to release any official report to the public.
“Neither has the panel done so. The cowardly leakage of an unsigned report to the public is not enough.
“Assuming the report in circulation bears any iota of genuineness, it is basic knowledge that the report of such a panel is of no force until the convening authority issues a White Paper and Gazette on it. It is therefore too premature for any person or entity to seek to castigate the federal government and its agencies or officials based on such an unofficial and unvalidated report,” he further said.
Mr Mohammed stressed that, “There is absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to make us change our stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on October 20, 2020.
“For us to change our stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required standards and will withstand every scrutiny must be produced and presented to the public.”
“We also appeal to the families of those allegedly killed in Lekki to speak out. It’s untenable to say that some families did not come out because they are afraid. Any parent who is afraid to testify about the death of his or her child is not worth to be called a parent,” he stated, saying the government rejects “the notion that our soldiers and policemen massacred innocent Nigerians at Lekki on October 20, 2020. That conclusion is not supported by the weight of available evidence.”
Read the full text of the press conference below;
TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE HON. MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY NOV. 23RD 2021 ON THE REPORT OF THE LAGOS STATE JUDICIAL PANEL OF INQUIRY AND RESTITUTION TO INVESTIGATE CASES OF POLICE BRUTALITY AND THE INCIDENT OF OCT. 20TH 2020 AT LEKKI TOLL GATE
Good morning gentlemen
- It’s no longer news that the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry that investigated cases of police brutality as well as the incident of Oct. 20th, 2020, at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos has submitted its report. The submission happened while I was out of the country on national assignment. Unlike many commentators and analysts, we took our time to read and digest the report, and we are now well placed to respond.
- Without mincing words, let me say that never in the history of any Judicial Panel in this country has its report been riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies, speculations, innuendoes, omissions and conclusions that are not supported by evidence. What is circulating in public space is simply a rehash of the unverified fake news that has been playing on social media since the incident of Oct.
20th 2020. It is simply incredible that a Judicial Panel set up to investigate an incident has submitted a report laden with allegations, the same allegations it was set up to investigate in the first instance. Instead of sitting for all of one year, the panel could have just compiled social media ‘tales by the moonlight’ on the incident and submitted, saving taxpayers’ funds and everyone’s time. That report is nothing but the triumph of fake news and the intimidation of a silent majority by a vociferous lynch mob.
- Gentlemen, we have read some critical analysis of the report by a courageous few. One commentator, a lawyer, said it raised more questions than answers. Another commentator, a journalist, called it a ‘disgraceful report by a disgraceful panel’, saying it reported allegations instead of investigating the allegations. Yet another wondered how a Judicial Panel could use the words ‘massacre in context’ and equate such to a massacre. All these and many more have raised valid questions on that report. We salute their courage and refusal to be cowed by the rampaging lynch mob that has been screaming blue murder since the report was released.
- We do not intend to bore you by rehashing details of the discrepancies, innuendoes, inconsistencies and errors in that report. They are already in the public space. Let us, however, point out some key highlights of such discrepancies, errors, omissions, etc.
- i) – The report threw away the testimony of ballistic experts who testified before it. The experts said, inter alia, in their testimony:
”The Team finds that from the medical data examined, including the timeline of arrival at medical facility and the nature of the injuries sustained by the Victims, who were taken to the 5 medical facilities, that no military grade live ammunition (high-velocity) was fired at the protesters at Lekki Tollgate on 20th October 2020, within the timeframe of reference (18.30- 20.34hrs). That the GSW (Gun Shot Wounds) injuries (4 in number between 19:05 and 19:45 hrs), which were examined by the Team, can be safely identified as being discharged by either low velocity caliber and/or artisanal/12-gauge firearms (artisanal firearms are locally-fabricated weapons). What is however certain is that had the military personnel deliberately fired military grade live ammunition directly at the protesters; there would have been significantly more fatalities and catastrophic injuries recorded. This was clearly not the case.’’
- ii) – The same panel that said it deemed as credible the evidence of the Forensic Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, that only three of the bodies on which post mortem were conducted were from Lekki and only one had gunshot injury went on to contradict itself by saying nine persons died of gunshot wounds at Lekki!
iii) – The man whose evidence (that he counted 11 bodies in a military van where he was left for dead before he escaped) was found to be crucial by the panel never testified in person. Rather, the video of his ‘testimony’ was played by someone else. It did not occur to the panel to query the veracity of the testimony of a man who said he was shot and presumed dead but still had time to count dead bodies inside a supposedly dark van at night!
- iv) – The panel said trucks with brushes underneath were brought to the Lekki Toll Gate in the morning of Oct. 21 2020 to clean up bloodstains and other evidence, but still found bullet casings at the same site when it visited on Oct. 30th 2020. It said soldiers picked up bullet casings from Lekki Toll Gate on the night of Oct. 20th 2020, yet claimed that policemen came to the same spot to pick the same bullet casings on Oct. 21st 2020!
- v) – The panel was silent on the family members of those reportedly killed, merely insinuating they were afraid to testify. Even goats have owners who will look for them if they do not return home, not to talk of human beings. Where are the family members of those who were reportedly killed at Lekki Toll Gate? If the panel is recommending compensation for the families, what are their identities and addresses? Who will receive the compensations when no family members have shown up to date?
- vi) – How did a man who reported seeing the lifeless body of his brother himself ended up being on the list of the panel’s deceased persons?
vii) – How can a Judicial Panel convince anyone that the names of some casualties of the Lekki Toll Gate incident listed as numbers 3 (Jide), 42 (Tola) and 43 (Wisdom) are not fictitious names.
viii) – Why did the Judicial Panel feel compelled to concoct a ”massacre in context” as a euphemism for ”massacre”? A massacre is a massacre. What is ”massacre in context?”
- ix) – The report never mentioned cases of police personnel who were brutally murdered or the massive destruction of police stations, vehicles, e.t c during the Endsars protest. Does this mean that the panel didn’t consider policemen and women as human beings?
- x) – The report didn’t make any recommendation on the innocent people whose businesses were attacked and destroyed during the protest in Lagos. I think it was too busy looking for evidence to support its conclusion of ‘massacre in context’.
- It is clear, from the ongoing, that the report of the panel in circulation cannot be relied upon because its authenticity is in doubt. Besides, the Lagos State Government, being the convening authority, has yet to release any official report to the public.
Neither has the panel done so. The cowardly leakage of an unsigned report to the public is not enough. Assuming the report in circulation bears any iota of genuineness, it is basic knowledge that the report of such a panel is of no force until the convening authority issues a White Paper and Gazette on it. It is therefore too premature for any person or entity to seek to castigate the Federal Government and its agencies or officials based on such an unofficial and unvalidated report.
- CNN AND OTHERS
The CNN has been celebrating the leaked report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry. In its rush to claim vindication, CNN apparently didn’t even read the report before rolling out the drums in celebration. By that action, CNN has celebrated prematurely and has now committed a double faux pas: First, by relying on unverified social media stories and videos to carry out an investigation of the Oct. 20th 2020 incident at Lekki, where it did not have a correspondent on ground. CNN goofed in its report on the findings of the panel, which fell below the main standards of journalism. Secondly, CNN rushed to the air to celebrate an unsigned and unverified report that is riddled with inconsistencies, errors, discrepancies, innuendoes. That’s double faux pas by a news organization that is eager and willing to compromise standards just to claim vindication.
- Sadly, a section of the Nigerian media has also joined the lynch mob. Honestly, in an attempt to vilify government at all costs, they have done themselves a great disservice. How can any news organization worth its salt write an Editorial validating this kind of report? Are they not seeing what others, including journalists and lawyers, are seeing? In a shocking twist, a Nigerian newspaper chose to hail what it calls ‘’detailed investigative report’’ by CNN, even when the news channel did not even cover the incident of Oct. 20th 2020! It’s a classic case of cutting your nose to spite your face.
9 CONCLUSIONS
- i) – Gentlemen, there is absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to make us change our stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on Oct. 20th 2020. For us to change our stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required standards and will withstand every scrutiny must be produced and presented to the public. The report in circulation does not meet those requirements. We also appeal to the families of those allegedly killed in Lekki to speak out. It’s untenable to say that some families did not come out because they are afraid. Any parent who is afraid to testify about the death of his or her child is not worth to be called a parent.
- ii) – We reject the notion that our soldiers and policemen massacred innocent Nigerians at Lekki on Oct. 20th 2020. That conclusion is not supported by the weight of available evidence. Indictment for murder is a very serious issue that cannot be done on the basis of allegations and corroborations, as the panel did. Such allegations must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The report in circulation is calculated to embarrass the Federal Government and its agencies without foolproof evidence. The Federal Government has never condoned the abuse of the rights of Nigerians by security agencies under any guise, hence it disbanded SARS and encouraged states to set up the panels to investigate reports of human rights abuses allegedly committed by the disbanded SARS personnel
iii) – The 37 policemen and six soldiers who died across the country during the Endsars protest are also Nigerians and should not be forgotten.
- iv) – Those who have engaged in premature celebration of the report in circulation should now go back and read it thoroughly and tell Nigerians whether it can pass any serious scrutiny.
- v) – We are saddened that anyone died at all during the Endsars protest as the life of every Nigerian and indeed every human is sacrosanct. As we have disclosed many times, 57 civilians, 37 policemen and six soldiers were killed across the country during the protest, and we commiserate with their families.
10) Gentlemen, I thank you for your kind attention. I will now take your questions.
General
NECA Lauds Customs on Reforms, Operational Improvement

By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for the recent policy reforms and operational improvement, which have boosted trade facilitation.
NECA President, Mr Ifeanyi Okogwu, gave the commendation on Monday while leading a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, at the NCS headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
According to a statement on the service’s X on Tuesday, the visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration on trade facilitation and private sector development.
“We are here today to commend the Service for your impactful initiatives so far. NECA was established in 1957 to represent the interests of businesses in Nigeria.
“Today, with over 4,000 members, we play a vital role in enhancing the operating environment for businesses, and we recognise the customs as a critical partner in this journey,” he said.
Mr Okogwu emphasised that key trade facilitation tools introduced by the service, including Advance Ruling, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, and the Time Release Study were significant in reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and improving the ease of doing business, especially for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).
“These reforms are not just policies on paper; they are impactful initiatives directly supporting Nigerian businesses, particularly SMEs. We look forward to continued engagement with the NCS to ensure businesses thrive and the economy grows,” he added.
On his part, the CG thanked the NECA team for the visit and for recognising the agency’s efforts, reiterating the NCS’s unwavering commitment to working closely with the private sector to build a more inclusive trade environment.
“I am always glad to partner with private enterprises. At Customs, we’ve come to understand that our actions or inaction have a direct bearing on the kind of business environment we create. This is why we put a lot of premium on trade facilitation and stakeholder engagement,” Mr Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss assured that the Service remains public-centric in its approach and will continue to work with the business community to simplify processes and ensure compliance.
“We see ourselves not just as enforcers, but as facilitators. We are committed to walking with you every step of the way in building a better ecosystem for Nigerian businesses to flourish. Continuous dialogue like this drives meaningful progress,” he said.
General
Why Nigeria is Facing Worsening Food Crisis—Veriv’s Survey

By Adedapo Adesanya
A data insights company, Veriv Africa, has called for increased focus on tackling insecurity and boosting private sector involvement in the Nigerian agriculture to help staunch the growing food crisis in the country.
This was informed by its survey, Veriv Africa Nigeria Food Price Baseline Survey 2025, which found that the country is facing a worsening food crisis stemming from systemic challenges such low agricultural productivity, insufficient policies, dearth in policy harmonisation, as well as climate, geopolitical, and economic shocks.
The survey examined the state of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, focusing on six key crops: cocoa, sesame, rice, corn, tomato, and yam. The study, conducted across five case-study states, revealed critical challenges and opportunities within these value chains.
The report found that despite agriculture employing 30.1 per cent of Nigeria’s labour force and contributing 24.64 per cent to GDP, the country faces a food crisis with food inflation reaching 26.08 per cent in January 2025 and 33 million people are projected to experience food insecurity.
It warned that Nigeria’s crop yields are significantly below global averages, indicating substantial inefficiency in the sector.
According to the study shared with Business Post, Nigeria’s maize yields stand at 1.939.1 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha), significantly below the global average of 5,962.3 kg/ha and the African average of 2,154.8 kg/ha.
At the same time, rice yields in Nigeria (1,974 kg/ha) also lag behind the global average of 4.751.8 kg/ha and the African average of 2.313.3 kg/ha, citing data from the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) data from 2023.
This is also similar across other select crops like cocoa, millet, and tomato.
The survey, which included 543 farmers, found that most farmers operate on small land holdings (1-4 acres) and rely on family labour and found that most farmers (60 per cent) finance their activities through personal savings, indicating a lack of access to formal credit.
The data also showed that key challenges faced by Nigerian farmers include lack of access to finance (54 per cent), insecurity (21 per cent), and post-harvest losses (12 per cent).
Farmers desire greater access to finance (52 per cent), improved security (22 per cent), and access to subsidised inputs (19 per cent) as key interventions.
Most farmers (64 per cent) feel better off than in previous planting seasons due to high crop prices, but over half of the surveyed expect the country to be worse off in the next twelve months.
While 82.5 per cent of farmers plan to continue with their primary crops, those who plan to change highlight high input costs, pests, diseases, and low yields as reasons.
Veriv recommended that addressing security challenges, attracting more private sector participation in food production activities, providing rural infrastructure, and establishing staple crop processing zones (SCPZs) in physical proximity to core crop-producing zones is a good course of action.
The firm also advocated democratising and decentralising agricultural extension services to farmers, adopting modern farming techniques, and promoting access to finance to unlock the sector’s potential and ensure food security.
Speaking on the survey, the co-founder of Veriv Africa, Mr Basil Abia, told Business Post that Nigeria lacks an updated central food production data and this survey provides a tentative outlook before the company releases a wider general agriculture data for the country, which will be released later this year.
“As the months go, we will add more crops and expand coverage regarding the value chains; we shall add another layer by 2027 with a beta test by December 2026. That layer is a for a marketplace and mostly for international businesses that want raw materials from Nigeria.”
He pointed out that the first phase of the project are important for social impact projects before evolving into serving corporate needs that will see companies have adequate data for making their decisions.
General
FG To Deliver 275,000 Electricity Meters In Next Two Months

By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has pledged to deliver the first batch of a promised three million electricity meters, amounting to 275,000 units, in the next two months.
The move is part of efforts to close the seven million metering gaps in the country, a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, Mr Bolaji Tunji, revealed
The Minister said 75,000 meters under the International Competitive Bid 1 are expected by April 2025 and the second batch of 200,000 meters will follow in May 2025.
“While challenges persist, the facts tell a more balanced story – one of sustained effort, financial commitment, and structured implementation plans by the Federal Government of Nigeria to close the metering gap”, the statement noted.
“Despite claims of stagnation, metering installations have been progressing steadily. As of December 2024, a total of 5,502,460 customers had been metered, representing about 55 per cent of the 10,114,060 active electricity customers in Nigeria.
“In 2024 alone, 572,050 meters were installed. While the government acknowledges the existing metering gap, it is actively working to close it as quickly as possible. However, the fact remains that a sizable portion of active electricity users already have meters, countering the exaggerated portrayal of an industry in crisis,” Mr Adelabu stated.
According to the statement, though installation rates have varied over the years, the sector has maintained a yearly average of about 668,000 meters of installation annually.
Structured financing and government-backed initiatives are expected to accelerate deployment beyond the current pace, ensuring that the metering gap is addressed efficiently, the minister added.
“To bridge this gap, the government has put in place key initiatives aimed at significantly improving metering across the country. The Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) is set to deliver 3,205,101 meters by 2026.
“This will be achieved through different procurement models, including 1,437,501 meters through International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1), 217,600 meters through National Competitive Bid (NCB), and 1,550,000 meters through International Competitive Bid 2 (ICB2).
“As part of this plan, the first batch of 75,000 meters under ICB1 is expected by April 2025, followed by the second batch of 200,000 meters in May 2025.
“In addition to the DISREP, the N700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) is another key intervention designed to accelerate metering. The initiative, which has already secured N700 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), is structured to ensure large-scale meter procurement and deployment,” the minister added.
According to the power minister, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been established to oversee the implementation of the initiative, with the government setting a target of deploying two million meters annually for five years, with the tender for the first batch of two million meters expected to be released by the third quarter of 2025.
These structured interventions, the minister explained, provide a clear roadmap for addressing the metering gap in an effective and sustainable manner.
According to the statement, further that while the metering gap remains a concern, the notion that it will take over a decade to resolve is misleading.
“With the ongoing DISREP and PMI initiatives, Nigeria’s metering landscape is set to experience significant improvement before the end of the year. The focus should be on the execution of these well-structured plans rather than a blanket critique that overlooks the real progress being made,” the minister added.
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