No Surprise If US Has Videos of Lekki Shooting, Former Foreign Minister Akinyemi Says

A former Nigerian Minister of External Affairs Professor Bolaji Akinyemi has criticized President Buhari’s handling of the international community’s involvement in the #EndSARS protests and believes the United States through its satellite has videos of what happened at the Lekki toll gate.

The Nigerian leader had cautioned friends of the country and the international community not to make hasty pronouncements, days after officers of the Nigerian army shot at protesters at the Lekki toll plaza.

“To our neighbours in particular, and members of the international community, many of whom have expressed concern about the ongoing development in Nigeria, we thank you and urge you all to seek to know all the facts available before taking a position or rushing to judgement and making hasty pronouncements,” Buhari had said.

Prof. Akinyemi, however, observed that the president should have been more civil in the way he addressed the international community.

“Because of technology, the international community knows what he (Buhari) is talking about. I will not be surprised if the United States through its satellite have videos of what happened at the Lekki toll gate that night.

“So when the international community gets involved its better if you are to disagree with them, its better to do so in a civil way. If i were writing that speech, I wouldn’t have written it that way,” he said.

The former Minister also condemned the speech by the country’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and described the speech as one lacking in civility, offensive and offputting.

Buratai had ordered top military officers soldiers of the Nigerian Army “not to be afraid of the ICC for carrying out their legitimate duties as stated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and other extant laws, rules and regulations of Nigeria.”

But Prof. Akinyemi said ” I am used to a kind of civility in the speech by the generals in the Nigeria Army, I found the tone of that speech offensive and offputting, and Nigeria should know that it is dealing with the international community as well as its domestic community and let those who represent us and those who speak on our behalf watch their language.”

By Abel Ejikeme