Nigerian Journalist and Development Communication Expert, Mark Iyodo Muhammed has described some videos and information circulating on SARS demonstrators being killed as unverifiable.
According to him, individuals reported to have been shot dead and badly injured have come out publicly to deny claims of having been shot with some revealing they have never been to any of these SARS demonstrations.
Mark Iyodo Muhammed made this revelation in an interview with Samuel Eshun, host of the Happy Morning Show aired on Happy 98.9 FM and e.TV Ghana.
“We heard cases of protestors being shot and all but some of these people have come out to say they were not at the scene. We have about two to three instances where people have also denied being shot at”.
Condemning Military Officers for firing into the calm protestors, he reiterated, “We have had instances where it was reported that seven (7) persons were shot dead. And the footages supporting this claim have all being unverified”.
The journalist for clarity stated, “I am not saying there were no shootings or saying people didn’t die. But clearly reviewing some videos, we can say some of them were doctored. With some purported gunshot victims denying it”.
Mark who suspected some underhand dealings and infiltration by some not so well-meaning people added that some of the videos of police brutality toward protestors were also footages from some Nigerian movies.
He, however, admitted that protestors injured during the military action in Lagos, the heart of the protest have received medical attention and have been discharged.
“The Lagos Governor addressed them and visited the hospitals where they were being treated. Six (6) have been discharged and two (2) are in stable conditions”.
The end SARS protests which started in Nigeria some two weeks ago evolved into a call for the total restructuring in the country’s governance system.
The peaceful demonstration erupted into a violent one with persons reported being shot and killed by Nigerian Military Forces.
By: Joel Sanco
