Activist lawyer Dele Farotimi has accused former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, of lying about the events surrounding the 2020 incident at the Lekki Toll Gate.
Mohammed had recently maintained that no one was killed during the October 2020 shooting linked to the EndSARS protests. However, speaking during an interview on the State Affairs podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo, Farotimi strongly disputed that claim, insisting that a massacre occurred and that attempts to deny it were dishonest.
Farotimi stated that although he was not initially part of the EndSARS protest movement, he became involved after the alleged massacre. He explained that he belongs to a political collective within the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) known as the Radical Agenda Movement. According to him, when the judicial panel of inquiry was constituted, members of his group decided to boycott the proceedings, staging protests outside the venue.
He further alleged that survivors of the incident later approached members of his collective, prompting deeper involvement. Farotimi claimed he personally provided safe houses for victims, paid medical bills for injured protesters, and in some cases covered funeral expenses.
The activist also accused the Lagos State Government of paying N100 million in cash reportedly in two installments of N50 million each to injured survivors and relatives of the deceased. He alleged that the payments were deliberately made in cash to avoid leaving a transaction record.
“The persons who collected the money are still alive and well. Why are they paying if nobody died?” he queried.
Farotimi additionally referenced the findings of the judicial panel of inquiry, which he said unanimously concluded that a massacre occurred, with no dissenting opinion among panel members, including a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police.
He further alleged that the state government funded the burial of over 100 individuals described as “unidentified,” insisting that official denials contradict actions allegedly taken after the incident.
As of the time of this report, Mohammed and the Lagos State Government had not publicly responded to the fresh allegations.
