20.10.20 is a day that many Nigerians will never forgot.
People worldwide, at least 150k of them, tuned in to DJ Switch’s Instagram live on this day to witness the sound of gunshots, while the DJ herself battled with others to save a man life who laid unconscious following a gunshot wound.
By the end of that video, it is fair to say many were left traumatised, we had just witnessed a slice of an ongoing massacre.
Artists, Falz the Bahd Guy, Burna Boy and Yemi Alade posted a heartbreaking picture from the day, videos of dead bodies with splattered brains and blood everywhere.
However, by the following day, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced there had been no fatalities, at least not at Lekki on the alleged night of murders – though he revealed one later died in hospital.
Here is why the Governor made that announcement.
The picture Falz and other celebrities posted from the night turned out to be from a video of a stage play.
It appears a shadow group of propagandist took advantage of peaceful #EndSARS protesters to inflame an already bad crisis in ??
— Káyọ̀dé Ògúndámisí (@ogundamisi) October 23, 2020
Recall image that went around the globe and depicted as one of the victim of Soldier killing protester? It was cropped from a video from a stage play?? pic.twitter.com/OksvjQrX6L
The CCTV that was taken away were revealed to be licence plate verification cameras that had to be removed as a result of curfew.
The group behind this viral ‘lie’ was Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria. EiE later acknowledged and apologised for their mistake
Another is of a young man from Auchi, Edo State by the name of Iraoya Godwin. A Twitter user claimed he had died but a friend came out publicly to state he is alive.
#FakeNewsAlert #FakeNews
— Káyọ̀dé Ògúndámisí (@ogundamisi) October 22, 2020
The image of this young man was circulated amongst the globe by as having been killed during #EndSARS protest in Lekki.
Turned out to be false!
Stop ✋ #FakeNews use real images of victims. Fake news discredit and has dire consequences. https://t.co/oWSz5D60Zn pic.twitter.com/z3H6Eres4j
Died in Akwa Ibom 3 weeks ago.. pic.twitter.com/tZGWhxTCZ5
— Adeda (@tosinadeda) October 21, 2020
The one where Catholic Bishops were allegedly matching was from a March protest in Abuja against killing and kidnappings.
According to BBC Pidgin, a reverse image search shows it is from March, when the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) led a protest in Abuja against killings and kidnappings in the country.
Nigerian Catholic conference matching in support of the #EndSARS protest.#EndPoliceBrutality and #ENDBADGOVERNANCE in Nigeria pic.twitter.com/qK6CKmkYye
— PH LastBorn (@freemanwurl) October 19, 2020
Ikoyi #PrisonBreak attempt almost contained. More security personnel on ground. https://t.co/XOpNbhJ6Wq
— Káyọ̀dé Ògúndámisí (@ogundamisi) October 22, 2020
If you see this please retweet, let the world know how Okechukwu died. He was NOT killed by a police bullet but thugs in his home!
— Midorima Shintaro? (@DanielOE16) October 21, 2020
Another supposed casualty of #LekkiGenocide.
— Adeda (@tosinadeda) October 21, 2020
Samuel David doesn’t even exist. His name is Kofi Asare, he’s not even Nigerian and was never at Lekki yesterday. pic.twitter.com/qFyMxIQtYp
There were lots more fake photos and videos, it came down to people asking where are the real evidence of what happened at Lekki tollgate, because no one could produce any.
DJ Switch stated that at least 15 people died in front of her that day, and the bodies were handed over to the soldiers.
Rumour have it those bodies have been disposed of, never to be seen. We may never get any real proof of the #LekkiMassacre – if there was one.
