LekkiTollGateShooting: We didn’t use live ammunition else there’d have been a lot of fatalities — Nigerian Army

The Nigerian Army on Saturday denied using live ammunition on unarmed #EndSARS protesters, during the alleged Oct. 20 shooting at the Lekki Tollgate, Lagos.

It is reported that the Nigerian Army made the denial before the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters.Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, who testified on behalf of the Nigerian Army said that the military had fired blank ammunition into the air to disperse protesters on the night of the alleged shooting.

Taiwo, who gave a presentation to the panel with the use of a projector, played footage which showed soldiers standing in front of singing protesters and firing their weapons into the air.He said there would have been a lot of fatalities if the 600m live ammunition normally used by the military were used to disperse the #EndSARS protesters.

“I have been in the army since 1986 and you cannot be under fire and be singing.The entry hole for the 600m is thin while the exit is wide, if it hits you in the chest or the bowels, the intestines comes down.


I am an expert in ammunition having spent so long in the army. Blank ammunition is slower and can do no damage to the flesh and you have nothing to fear except you take a rifle, put it against your eye and fire.Even if you put it against your skin and fire you will only have burn marks,” he said.