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Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the running mate of Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised concerns over the description of the shooting incident at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, as a 'massacre.'
The Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate expressed this view during a popular Channels Television program, Politics Today, on Thursday, October, 20, 2022.
The Lekki shooting: Pulse reports that today makes it two years that armed security officers invaded the Lekki Toll Plaza in the dead of the night and opened fire at the #EndSARS protesters who had peacefully gathered to demand an end to police brutality in the country.
Massacre or no massacre: There have been claims by many Nigerians and also international organisations that some protesters were killed on that night but the Military have argued that its men only fired blank bullets at the protesters and that couldn't have resulted in any fatality.
Govts denial: Also, both the Lagos State and Federal Government have repeatedly stated that nobody was killed at the toll plaza and challenged anyone whose relatives may have been killed in the shooting to step forward.
Nigerians divided: Although many survivors of the shooting have come out to tell their experience, but no one has been able to identify any fatality yet. However, opinions are still divided among Nigerians as many people believe that a massacre had taken place.
Datti questions massacre claim: Commenting on the issue, Datti said even though there were abuses of procedure and there were civil rights violations, using massacre is highly debatable.
Datti's word: "There was abuse of human rights. There was abuse of procedure. And if some people interpret those as massacre, then yes.
"However, massacre has different technical meanings. I can't say I know all of it but I know massacre requires the assailants to have first of all, no advance notice was given before the attack and people, the victims must have been attacked in their own areas.
"Now, these are well-meaning Nigerians who brought themselves out to a public area and were attacked by security forces that are meant to be protecting their lives and property.
"The use of massacre is highly debatable, but I can say for sure that there were abuses of procedure and there were civil rights violations."
The memorial: Pulse had earlier reported that Nigerian youths organised a memorial protest on Thursday to commemorate the second anniversary of the October 20, 2020, shooting incident and honour the memories of the victims.
Popular comedian Debo Adebayo, also known as Mr Macaroni and musician Folarin Falana, better known as Falz, were among notable Nigerians that joined the procession at the Lekki Toll Gate.
However, the protesters were later dispersed when men of the Nigerian Police Force fired tear gas into the crowd.
Although, the police have come out to explain that they resorted to that action when some protesters became aggressive and started blocking the free flow of traffic around the corridor.