Please note that this video contains gruesome scenes, Readers' Discretion is advised!
It was like every other day - the people gathered at their usual spot in the morning - The Lekki Toll Gate in Nigeria, for another day of peaceful protests. About 15 hours later, 78 of these people would be confirmed dead, killed by the Army of their own country.
For years, members of the Special Ant Robbery Squad, as well as Police officers have been involved in sexual harassment, kidnapping, assault, torture, extortion, and extrajudicial killings. There's the story of Tiyamiyu Kazeem, a fast-rising football player who was pushed out of one of their moving vans and was crushed by a car coming from behind.
16-year-old Tina Ezekwe was killed by a stray bullet when a drunk police officer shot at a crowd that had gathered after he shot a driver who refused to give him a bribe.
These are just two of many cases which exist, many go unreported. In one particular case, a father had to go through a river of dead bodies, turning each and every one of them to find his son, Chijioke Iloanya, who was never found since his kidnap from a bar in 2012.
I refer to this place as the Island of Lost dreams
These protests finally began October 8 and had received a rally of support from local and international celebrities, as well as being featured on International News Networks. But the issue is that Local News Networks did not carry the news as they were ought to, and kept hiding some of the most incriminating facts in favor of the Government!
Then the Government started funding thugs and so-called 'security operatives' to attack protesters, burn their property, and kill them. Jimoh Isiaq who was watching the scene of the protest from afar was struck by a stray bullet and killed. Who opens fire on peaceful unarmed protesters with live bullets?
The protests became more rampant, causing a lot of gridlocks. The Lekki Toll Gate used to be a source of income to the Government - the few days of protest had cost the Government 234 Million Naira, the equivalent of which is 614,980.27 United States Dollars. That much.
And yet, with all this money being earned for years, my 'country'(I say this with a heavy heart; I am not proud of this country) is borrowing money from China - leveraging their sovereignty in the process. And what is the borrowed money being used for? Consumption. That's right, they are not producing - just consuming and feeding their greedy fat pockets while people die of hunger and starvation.
It was obvious this loss of money made the Government angry, because this morning, which is now called Bloody Tuesday, some Government Workers came and dismantled the CCTV cameras around the toll gate, claiming that it was based on a governmental order.
People were suspicious, so they got Nigerian flags and wrapped them around themselves, as news surfaced online a few days ago stating that soldiers could not shoot civilians draped in the Nigerian flag.
The Lagos State Governor issued a curfew just four hours from the time the curfew was due to begin... and they call this a democracy?
As the sun set, and darkness ensued, the lights in the vicinity went off, and as the people sat on the ground, singing the National Anthem, soldiers opened fire on them.
Let me give you a brief rundown of the Nigerian Political Climate:
Nigeria was formed in 1914 when the colonialist Lord Frederick Lord Lugard amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates.
In 1960, we gained independence.
In 1966, January, there was a coup in which many northern officers - who are Hausa, Fulani, and most of the Muslim religion, were killed. Since most of the officers involved in the coup were from the Igbo, eastern tribe, it was perceived to be an 'Igbo coup'.
In July 1966, there was a countercoup; the Head of State was met in his room, his ranks were torn off his clothes, and he was driven to a bush and killed by drunk officers. Then, the country plunged into chaos.
Millions of Igbos were hunted in their homes and offices, so far as they were living in the North or South Western parts. They were being killed en masse.
The East decided to secede from the country and become a country of their own, called Biafra. This act plunged the country into a 3-year civil war from 1967 - 1970.
Biafra was not actualized, although it says the war had 'No Victor, No Vanquished', we lost. But ever since then, the North and the East have never been on friendly terms.
The Nigerian Military have been battling Islamic fundamentalist and Terrorists for the past ten years without an end, but willingly opened fire using live ammunition on peaceful protesters today. I'm depressed.
So what's the situation at the toll gate>
Blood was shed. Even with the Nigerian Flag that was supposed to protect them.
The Soldiers set fire to both ends of the Lekki toll gate, effectively sealing off any routes of escape as they opened fire on the protesters. People have been forced to hide in hospitals, churches, guest houses, or risk going home by crawling through gutters.
The Soldiers turned back ambulances who tried to come to help the injured, and when they noticed that people were making videos of the carnage, they began to seize the dead bodies to hide the evidence.
A young man shared his story on Twitter of how he watched the corpse of his own twin brother being dragged away by the police officers, who wiped all the footage he'd recorded on his phone.
This is a video of the soldiers firing from armored tanks. I can't embed it. It's almost as if they were at war.
Note that most of the News Channels either did not air the news or aired it too late. Some that aired it had correspondents taking the side of the government by saying the protesters were vandalizing property and causing traffic. And that exonerates the actions of the soldiers?
And then, a female musician and DJ, DJ Switch, began recording the events and relaying them on her Instagram Live. We watched as she met dozens of dead or injured protesters, one died after being shot on the leg. His last words were 'Peace and Unity', the last line of our National Anthem.
DJ Switch's whereabouts are unknown as of now. We trust God that she is alright.
Funny enough, some Northerners, too blinded with ethnicity to see what the country has become, are supporting the actions of the Military. I am depressed, I say again. I grieve.
As the dust settles, and the shots still continue to ring out, the question remains on everyone's lips.
Who ordered the Black Tuesday Massacre????
As I've said earlier, I go to sleep, heavy-hearted, grieving, and depressed.
Lastly, I don't know when this took place, but it is particularly very gruesome. Do not view if you can't stand the sight of gory scenes, please.
https://twitter.com/promisevinci/status/1318708370807848960
LINKS.
The pictures of the dead bodies in the river were gotten from this tweet.
And i heard your rulers ran away too. My god, what is happening in your country. This is too despicable and gruesome.