FOLASHADE KEHINDE
THE Nigerian Army disclosed on Saturday that it helped banks to evacuate about N2bn in Lagos State, during the thick of the hoodlums’ attack, which trailed the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters at Lekki tollgate.
The Commander, 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, said this just as he revealed that the Army was initially not happy with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for denying that he invited soldiers to the Lekki tollgate to restore order.
He spoke on Saturday while briefing the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate.
“We were able to help banks evacuate about N2bn after two days,” Taiwo said, while noting that banks were greatly affected during the mayhem.
He noted that it was unfortunate that even women led their children to loot private businesses in Lagos.
The Army however agreed that the governor had reasonable grounds to invite soldiers when violence broke out on October 2020.
“I spoke with the governor and said the Army was unhappy that he said he did not ask the Army to intervene. But I’m sure, after we’ve watched everything, we saw he had more than reasonable grounds to ask the Army to intervene,” Taiwo said.
The Lagos Governor had, in an Arise TV interview, in the heat of the crisis sparked by the shootings at Lekki tollgate, said the state government did not invite the soldiers.
“The Army does not report to me. I have reported the matter to the highest command in the military. It’s not something we are going to gloss over. A judicial panel will be set up to investigate it. I have escalated it to the highest level of the military,” he had said.
The panel had earlier adjourned the sitting on November 7, following the disruption of proceedings by the youth panel members protesting against the freezing of the bank accounts of #EndSARS promoters by the CBN.
