Lekki Shootings – Go View Our Investigative Report, CNN Tells Lagos Panel
American media house, Cable News Network, has recommended its two part investigative report on the Lekki tollgate shootings by soldiers on the night of October 20 to the Lagos State Panel of Judicial Inquiry probing the incident. The foreign media house told the retired Justice Doris Okuwobi led panel to go and watch its report titled ‘How a bloody night of bullets quashed a young protest movement,’ which is backed with pictures and video clips, to assist it in its findings. CNN said this while rejecting a November 28 summons issued on it by the panel to appear for questioning. The foreign media house contended that it does not fall under the territorial jurisdiction of the panel to warrant being summoned.
In the objection filed by their lawyer, Olumide Babalola, CNN, its reporter, Stephanie Busari and her team said the summons issued on them was invalid as they were not within the geographical territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and do not have any physical or business presence in Nigeria. The lawyer urged the panel to withdraw the summons issued on his clients and to instead go and watch the CNN report on the Lekki incident. The CNN had in the report implicated the Nigerian Army in the alleged killing of peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate. But the Federal Government condemned the CNN report, describing it as irresponsible, while the Nigerian Army denied shooting at or killing protesters.