Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has blamed the shooting of peaceful protesters at the Lekki toll gate on Tuesday night on “forces beyond his control.”
The governor stated this after visiting victims of the shooting in the hospital, in the early hours of Wednesday.
“This is the toughest night of our lives as forces beyond our direct control have moved to make dark notes in our history, but we will face it and come out stronger,” he said.
According to Mr Sanwo-Olu, 10 victims were at the state-owned General Hospital, 11 at Reddington Hospital, and four at Vedic Lifecare Hospital.
He also said two victims of the shooting were receiving intensive medical care while three victims had been released.
The governor did not give the figure of the fatalities from the shooting, but witnesses said there were about a dozen dead.
“I’ve just concluded visits to hospitals with victims of this unfortunate shooting incident at Lekki. It has taken me this long to make a statement because I have to prioritize the welfare of the victims of this very sad incident.
“There are currently 10 patients at the Gen Hospital, 11 at Reddington and 4 at Vedic; with mild to moderate levels of injuries while 2 are receiving intensive medical care. 3 patients have been discharged & we will continue to monitor and ensure all patients get the best care.
“As the Governor of our state, I recognize the buck stops at my table and I will work with the FG to get to the root of this unfortunate incident and stabilise all security operations to protect the lives of our residents, said Sanwo-Olu, who promised to give a state broadcast in the morning.
