NATIONAL: Lekki shootings: Nigerian army admits live, blank bullets were taken to protest ground

THE Nigerian Army has admitted that it took both blank and live ammunition to the Lekki tollgate the protest ground for demonstrators against police brutality.

The Nigerian army had initially denied that his men were at the Lekki tollgate but after some days it admitted that its men were invited to the protest ground by the Lagos State government to restore order.

The Nigerian army, however, added that nobody was killed as the soldiers deployed to the venue of the protest used blank ammunition.

But on Saturday a representative of the army, Brigadier General Ahmed Taiwo, stated that the soldiers at the protest ground had live bullets with them.

He said this when he appeared before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State government to look into the allegations of brutality by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other issues raised by the Nigerian youths.

General Taiwo, who is the Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, however, informed the panel and others present that the live rounds were not used on the protesters.

He insisted that 85 per cent of bullets the military officers took to the protest venue were blank.

The brigade commander explained that the live bullets were meant for military operations along the Eti-Osa corridor, stressing that they were not for #EndSARS protesters.