I just finished watching DJ Switch’s video- her account of what happened in Lekki Toll Gate on Tuesday, October 20, 2020.
She said they were teargassed and then shot. It is actually possible to teargas and shoot people. But let’s dissect her story.
They were teargassed and according to her, the teargas was like Cotonou pepper mixed with acid. The simple meaning is that the teargas very strong and must have affected their ability to breathe very well as well as their vision coupled with the fact that it was at night and and the lights were switched off. If all these were true, then they were at the mercy of the soldiers. But what did they do despite all these?
They ran out and returned back to the scene and ran and returned back again. In a way that could be described as not ready to run away or surrender but very ready to fight to finish. She also added that they all held the flags and sang the National Anthem. Remember the Cotonou Pepper mixed with acid kind of teargas was first used on them and in the air yet they were running and coming back and held the flags while singing the National Anthem.
She also stated that while the operation was ongoing a boy jumped on her back and begged her for protection. Unfortunately, the boy was shot while taking refuge on her back.
She said that after the shooting, the soldiers were running to pick the bullet shells but they (protesters) were also picking the shells. So its like soldiers picked some bullet shells and the protesters picked some too. She showed some of the shells. They even removed one shell from someone’s body. Recall, they were tear-gassed while all these were ongoing and they were still able to do all these.
At a point according to her, they packed the dead bodies and handed them over to the soldiers to show them what they have done. She asked the Unit Commander why they (the Army) were killing them. She didn’t give the answer the Unit Commander gave her. She said giving the Military the bodies of the fallen heroes was their error. They remembered to pick and keep bullet shells but gave the Military the bodies of their fallen heroes. Sorry to bring in religion. Even Jesus’ followers ensured that they got the Body of Christ and buried Him accordingly. But our beloved protesters gave the Military the bodies of their fallen heroes and only picked shells. She said after all these, the killings continued till the next morning.
She confirmed that 15 persons died before her phone battery became flat. She didnt say anything about the names of the fallen heroes. I want to believe at a least 5 to 10 of them had mobile phones. Even if the survivors don’t know their names, didnt they keep their phones? Or they gave them to the Military too.
Just digest and make conclude based on your own conviction. I am not making any conclusions. I merely highlighted the points. You can watch the video yourself.
My Conclusion:
We need to honour the memory of those who were killed. Their names and identities will be helfpul. This will also enable us bring the murderous soldiers to book.