Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has restated his long-standing position that no massacre occurred at the Lekki toll gate during the October 2020 EndSARS protests. Speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, on Wednesday, the former minister insisted that allegations of widespread killings at the toll plaza were based on misinformation and amplified by unreliable sources.
Mohammed, who served as the government’s spokesperson during the protests, addressed renewed questions about his stance, describing the reports of a massacre as “fake news.” He argued that while deaths were recorded in several parts of the country during the demonstrations, no evidence had emerged to support claims that protesters were killed at the toll gate on October 20, 2020.
Clarifying his position, he said:
“You mentioned CNN. And honestly, I still stand by my pushback. Nobody ever claimed there were no fatalities during EndSARS. Lives were lost in Abuja, in Lagos, in Kano. But CNN was not at the toll gate; it relied entirely on second-hand information. If someone’s child or relative had gone to the toll gate and never returned, after five years, we should have heard from at least one family. EndSARS was tragic, yes, but the narrative of a massacre at Lekki is simply untrue.”
Mohammed Reveals Family Pressure During EndSARS Crisis
In a rare personal revelation, Mohammed disclosed that the fallout from his public role during the EndSARS crisis was so intense that his family urged him to step down from office. According to him, both online and offline harassment directed at his relatives reached a breaking point, threatening their businesses and safety.
He explained:
“One of the most difficult moments of my life was when my family held a meeting during EndSARS and asked me to resign. They were attacked on social media, they were confronted in person, and their businesses suffered. They told me, ‘We are not benefiting from this position, so why put us in harm’s way?’ I had to explain that leaving office was not as simple as it sounded. There were things I was aware of—things happening within government—that they could not see.”
Mohammed’s comments are the latest in a series of public defences of the government’s handling of the EndSARS protests, an issue that remains deeply contentious in Nigeria. His continued insistence that no massacre occurred is likely to reignite debate among activists, families of victims, and observers who maintain that the events of October 20, 2020, require further independent scrutiny.
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