Maj. Gen. John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations (DMO), has stated that the videos which surfaced online showing soldiers shooting at peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Plaza is fake and was either photoshopped or cropped.
Eneche made this known while he addressed newsmen at a press conference on the Tuesday Lekki Toll Gate shooting which was perpetrated by soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
He described the claims as mere allegations as some military analysts had dismissed as untrue.
Eneche admitted that the military is involved in internal security operations codenamed ‘Operation MESA’ in nine states.
He, however, declined to disclose further details on the joint security task force, adding that Operation MESA is under the control of the state governments, and it comprised of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Defence and police personnel.
In his words, he said: “The issue is not an operation that I can respond to, but I can tell you that it is an allegation, for now; so let us not set the cart before the horse.
“If the matter was still open-ended, I would have had a response for you but it is no longer open-ended because immediately, not even up to five hours before midnight, the Governor of Lagos set up an inquiry. So, whatever we say now will not be fair to the commission.
“So these operations are still standing and running and I am aware that the state governments are using them in all these capacities, that is internal security.
“The level we are now is internal security and that is why the police proactively came out and then deployed all their force package that are necessary to handle that (violence).”
See below a short clip of Maj. Gen. John Enenche where he claimed the video of Lekki toll gate shootings were either cropped or photoshopped.
