The Cable News Network (CNN) said on Thursday that it would not retract its report on the October 20 shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, allegedly by Nigerian soldiers.
It insisted that its report was “carefully and meticulously researched, and we stand by it.”
CNN had published an investigative report on the events of October 20 where it said the military had fired live bullets at protesters contrary to claims by the army that it did not use live bullets.
The report published on Wednesday, November 18, detailed the movement of the Nigerian Army vehicle that headed for the scene of the peaceful protest at Lekki from Bonny Camp, Victoria Island, around 6.29 pm.
It also noted the time, which it put at around 6.43 pm, when soldiers began to fire gunshots at the protesters, saying it lasted till 8.24 pm.
According to CNN, with the aide of media tools, it verified and geolocated videos of gunshots victims lying at the scene and people attempting CPR on them.
It also said it verified ammunitions picked at the scene, which military sources confirmed are still in use by the Nigerian military.
The Television Network, quoted Nigerians who claimed to have lost loved ones on the day of the incident.
However, addressing a press conference on Thursday, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, called for sanctions against CNN, saying its report was “one-sided and relied heavily on unverified/possibly doctored videos.”
He said: “Like everyone else, I watched the CNN report. I must tell you that it reinforces the disinformation that is going around, and it is blatantly irresponsible and a poor piece of journalistic work by a reputable international news organisation.
“CNN engaged in incredible sensationalism and did a great disservice to itself and journalism. In the first instance, CNN, which touted its report as an exclusive investigative report, sadly relied on the same videos that have been circulating on social media, without verification. This is very serious and CNN should be sanctioned for that.
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“CNN merely said the videos were ‘obtained by CNN’ without saying wherefrom and whether or not it authenticated them. Were CNN reporters and cameramen at the Lekki Toll Gate that evening?
“If the answer is no, on what basis were they reporting? Relying on second or third-hand information and presenting it as ‘CNN Investigation?’ Why didn’t the CNN balance its story by showing the compelling testimony of Brig. Gen. Taiwo before the Judicial Panel in Lagos?
Reacting to the minister’s comments, a spokesman for CNN insisted that the facts of the story were properly verified.
A statement from the spokesman read in part: “The report was based on testimony from dozens of witnesses, and photos and video obtained and geolocated by CNN. It painted a picture of how members of the Nigerian Army and the police shot at the crowd, killing at least one person and wounding dozens more.
“CNN verified photos and videos acquired from multiple eyewitnesses and protesters using timestamps and other data from the video files. Video footage shows soldiers who appear to be shooting in the direction of protesters. And accounts from eyewitnesses established that after the army withdrew, the second round of shooting happened later in the evening.
“Prior to publishing the report, CNN tried multiple times to elicit comment from the Nigerian Army and police. A Lagos State police spokesman declined to comment because of an ongoing investigation. While a statement from the Lagos State government said that there would be no comment while a judicial tribunal was underway.
“CNN also included comments from army representative, Brigadier Ahmed Taiwo, testifying before the tribunal. He denied that soldiers would shoot at Nigerian citizens.”
