A young man, who identified himself as Jacob Desmond suddenly became emotional while narrating how he survived death two years ago during the #EndSARS protest at Lekki Toll gate in Lagos.
Jacob, who was interviewed by PUNCH on Thursday at Lekki Toll Gate, said he witnessed many youths being killed by Nigerian security operatives during the protest.
“This same place. This same toll gate. We lost so many young men. I was among those that should have been killed here. My name is Jacob Desmond. I am here this morning because I should have been among those that died that day,” he narrated with teary eyes.
A video seen shows how Desmond was later arrested by policemen during the interview but was shortly released after he was asked some questions.
Earlier, the global human rights advocacy group, Amnesty International, lamented that over 40 protesters are still in prisons across Nigeria two years after the #EndSARS protest.
In October 2020, many Nigerian youths stormed the streets in some states of the federation to protest against police brutality and call for the disbandment of a police unit notorious for extrajudicial killings and human rights violations, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)
Meanwhile, despite ongoing attempts by some government officials to discredit the report of the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the #EndSARS protest and attack on peaceful demonstrators at the Lekki Toll Gate, SaharaReporters had uncovered details of the statement of the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) confirming that personnel of the Nigerian Army shot live ammunition at protesters, killing dozens of them in the process.
Shortly after receiving the report, the Lagos State Government set up a four-man panel to review the document and come up with a white paper, with some observers alleging that there are attempts by the government to sweep the findings under the carpet.
This, they said, would exonerate government officials, who had a hand in the massacre of young Nigerians demanding a better country that fateful October evening in 2020.
In the LCC statement seen by Sahara Reporters, which was submitted to the panel at the beginning of their sitting, the firm offered very weighty confessions that nailed the Nigerian Army.
According to the company managing the toll gate, military personnel shot unarmed protesters with live ammunition, killing many of them in the process and disrupting the peaceful protest at Lekki Toll Gate in the process.
Survivor Cries At Lekki Tollgate, Picked Up By Police
A survivor of the Lekki shooting of Tuesday, October 20, 2022, Jacob Desmond, was overcome by emotions at the Lekki Tollgate on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/TuTZ7jvoNi
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) October 20, 2022