5 Years After, Nobody Has Come To Tell Us Their Child Went To The Toll Gate and Didn’t Return” – Lie Mohammed Says, Dismisses Toll Gate Massacre Claims

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has dismissed claims of a massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate during the EndSARS protests, describing them as “fake news,” during a recent interview.

In the interview with Arise TV, Mohammed stated, “Yes people died in many places during EndSARS, but saying there was a massacre at the toll gate is fake news.” He further criticized reports from international media, particularly CNN, saying the news outlet “relied on second-hand information that people died particularly in toll gate when they were not even there.”

He added, “It has been 5 years, and nobody has come to tell us their child went to the toll gate and didn’t return,” emphasizing that no families came forward to verify claims of casualties at the toll gate. Mohammed concluded that the widely circulated accounts of the incident were unfounded.

The EndSARS protests, which erupted across Nigeria in October 2020, were initially sparked by public outrage against police br¥tality, particularly by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Demonstrations took place in major cities, including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, leading to clashes between protesters and security forces, property destruction, and widespread calls for government reform.

While several incidents of violence were reported across the country, Mohammed maintained in the interview that the specific claims regarding the Lekki Toll Gate were misleading.