Major General John Eneche, Nigerian Defence Headquarters’ Director of Information, has addressed a press conference on the shootings and killings which took place at Lekki Toll Gate on Tuesday evening – an act that was reportedly perpetrated by Nigerian soldiers.
Reacting to reports of soldiers shooting at the unarmed #EndSARS protesters, Eneche referred to it as a mere ‘allegation’.
He further admitted that the military is involved in internal security operations codenamed ‘Operation MESA’ in nine states.
He however declined to disclose any more information on the joint security task force.
He said, ” The issue is not an operation that I can respond to, but I can tell you that it is an allegation, for now; so let us not set the cart before the horse.
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“If the matter was still open-ended, I would have had a response for you but it is no longer open-ended, because immediately, not even up to five hours before midnight, the Governor of Lagos set up an inquiry. So, whatever we say now will not be fair to the commission.
“So these operations are still standing and running and I am aware that the state governments are using them in all these capacities, that is internal security.
“The level we are now is internal security and that is why the police proactively came out and then deployed all their force package that are necessary to handle that (violence).”
Responding to the absence of security operatives during acts of violence and widespread looting in Lagos by hoodlums, Eneche said; “They were on the grounds; maybe, they were not visible in all places”.
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