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 even as he revealed that the military was initially not proud of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for denying that he invited soldiers to the Lekki tollgate to revive 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 ready 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 had been unfortunate that even women led their children to loot private businesses in Lagos.
The Army however agreed that the governor had reasonable grounds to ask soldiers when violence broke out on October 2020.
“I spoke with the governor and said the military was unhappy that he said he didn’t ask the military to intervene. But I’m sure, after we’ve watched everything, we saw he had quite reasonable grounds to ask the military to intervene,” Taiwo said.
The Lagos Governor had, in an Arise TV interview, within the heat of the crisis sparked by the shootings at Lekki tollgate, said the government didn’t invite the soldiers.
“The Army doesn’t report back to me. I even have reported the interest the very best command within the military. It’s not something we are getting to gloss over. A judicial panel are going to be found out to research it. I even have escalated it to the very best 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.
