Lekki Tollgate Shooting: US government yet to confirm number of people killed – Report

The US government says it cannot confirm the accurate figure of casualties from last October’s Lekki tollgate shooting in Lagos during a protest against police brutality.

The US Department of States said this in its 45th annual human rights report.

The report said “accurate information on the fatalities” from the shooting remain fuzzy because apart from “Amnesty International which reported 10 persons died during the event, no other organization was able to verify the claim.”

“One body from the toll gate showed signs of blunt force trauma. A second body from another location in Lagos State had bullet wounds. The government acknowledged that soldiers armed with live ammunition were present at the Lekki Toll Gate. At year’s end the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution continued to hear testimony and investigate the shooting at Lekki Toll Gate,” the report noted.

The U.S. report, now in its 45th edition, examines the human rights standing of 198 countries with a focus on seven sections, including press freedom, corruption and transparency.

U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, announced the publication of the report Tuesday, saying that his country acknowledges the “work ahead and expects all nations to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

-Premium Times