General Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, says that contrary to what some persons have reported, there was no single corpse at the Lekki tollgate on October 20 when the military came and fired shots while #ENDSARS protesters gathered to demand an end to police brutality.
According to him, some people saw double during the shooting incident.
The Cable reports that the Army Chief shared this opinion when he spoke at the decoration of 39 newly promoted major-generals on Friday, December 4. He opined that a spiritual warfare seminar held by the army helped in preventing deaths at the protest ground. In his words
“I am glad that we held the Spiritual Warfare Seminar on Wednesday and most of the decorated generals today are graduates of the seminar,” he said.
“I must say that the spiritual warfare seminar we had last time helped us during the last #EndSARS protest to the extent that there was no single corpse, but some persons were seeing double at Lekki toll gate in Lagos state.
“We will continue to protect every law abiding Nigerian anywhere in the country and we will do that in accordance with the rules of engagement and confines of the constitution.”
The Army chief also cautioned the Army Generals against lobbying for appointments.
“Democracy has come to stay. We will not tolerate any agent of destabilization. The years of military misadventure in politics have never carried us anywhere. It is over,” he said.
Do not hobnob with politicians. At this rank of two-star generals, do not lobby for appointment. If you want to lobby for appointment, lobby the chief of army staff and you can only do this through hard work, discipline and loyalty.
The crop of officers (39 major generals) decorated yesterday will never be dragged into any interest that is contrary to the sustenance of democracy in our nation.
All our eyes are on you. We know there are several moves to get your attention. You must make sure that whatever you are doing, and when some persons approach you, you must act within the confines of the constitution. ”he said