Lekki Shootings: Lai Mohammed Blasts CNN Over New Report, Calls Them ‘Desperate’

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has accused the Cable News Network (CNN) of desperation following the second report it released on the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers.

Mohammed, who spoke on NTA ON Wednesday, faulted CNN’s report, describing it as lacking “the basic principles of journalism – fairness, and balance.”

VANTAGE NEWS reported that CNN dared the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration amid threat of sanctions by releasing a second report on the alleged shooting of unarmed and peaceful #EndSARS protesters by the Nigerian Army at Lekki tollgate on the night of October 20,2020

The Federal Government also petitioned the US-based news channel for its coverage of the #EndSARS protest in Lekki area of Lagos, accusing it of breaching “the most basic of the core principles of journalism – balance and fairness.”

Speaking on NTA, Mohammed said, “It shows that they (CNN) are desperate. The so-called recent development has been seen before. There is nothing new. If there is anything new, it is a contradiction of CNN’s position.

“What we are asking CNN is that where is your evidence? The military has been consistent. CNN contravenes the basic principles of journalism – fairness, and balance.

‘They did the story without contacting the Federal Government for its own side. They relied on second and third parties narratives.

“They (CNN) were caught spreading fake news and they are trying to escape.

“We are accusing them (CNN) of basing their stories on videos sourced on social media. CNN has been inconsistent. It also doctored the video it got.

“We are confident in our position.”