By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)
One of the survivors and eyewitness of the Lekki shootings, Miss Obianuju Catherine Udeh popularly known as DJ Switch on Friday disclosed that she counted 15 dead bodies of #EndSARS protesters allegedly shot at and killed by soldiers at the Lekki Toll plaza on that fateful Tuesday night.
DJ Switch who was visibly horrified in a video she posted on her Instagram page gave her account on what transpired at the sad incident that has caused outrage and condemnation from Nigerians and the international community.
The 36-year-old musician who shared live feeds of the shootings on Tuesday evening pleaded with the federal government and people in power not to insult the intelligence of Nigerians by denying the fact that lives were lost and many protesters on ground that night were injured in the shooting by persons believed to be military personnel.
Read also: Lekki Shootings: Burna Boy Releases Emotional Song About Incident
According to her, the bodies of the protesters were reportedly taken away by the military personnel who fired shots at them. Police men also reportedly came to attack protesters after the soldiers had left. She alleged that many people were killed but she and others reportedly counted 15persons feared dead.
She said: “I JUST WANT TO CLEAR A FEW THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN SEEING ONLINE. TO OUR LEADERS, I URGE YOU PLEASE DO NOT MINIMIZE THE SUFFERING OF FAMILIES. DO NOT INSULT THE GRIEF OF NIGERIANS, DO NOT INSULT THE INTELLIGENCE OF NIGERIANS. DO NOT INSULT THE PAINS THE FAMILIES ARE FACING.
“PEOPLE WERE FALLING LEFT AND RIGHT. YES THERE WERE SOLDIERS THERE. ANOTHER PART THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT IS THAT THE POLICE ALSO CAME. THE SARS PEOPLE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, THEY ALSO CAME, SOME MAYBE 40-45 MINUTES AFTER THE SOLDIERS LEFT.
“WE WERE TEARGASSED. THE TEARGASS WAS LIKE COTONOU PEPPER MIXED WITH ACID. WE WERE RUNNING. WE WOULD RUN AND WE WOULD COME BACK AND THE ONLY THING WE FOUGHT WITH WAS OUR FLAGS. WE WOULD SIT ON THE FLOOR AND WE WOULD RAISE OR HANDS UP, RAISING OUR FLAGS AND SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. THAT WAS ALL WE HAD.
“THEY PUT OFF THE LIGHTS. EVEN IF THERE WAS NO POWER IN THAT AXIS, THERE WAS ALWAYS LIGHT AT THE TOLLGATE. THERE WAS NO LIGHTS. THE STREET LIGHTS WERE OFF. IT WAS PITCH BLACK”.
Read also: #EndSARS: 19 Northern Governors Meet, Condemn Attacks On Protesters
”SOMETHING I THINK OF IN HINDSIGHT I WISH WE HADN’T DONE IT BUT WE CARRIED DEAD BODIES AND DROPPED AT THE FEET OF THE SOLDIERS SO THAT THEY COULD SEE WHAT THEY DID TO US. WHEN I ASKED THEIR UNIT COMMANDER WHY ARE YOU KILLING US? I WISH WE DIDN’T DO THAT BECAUSE THEY ENDED UP THROWING THE BODIES IN THEIR VAN. THIS WAS UP UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING.”
DJ switch in the video showed the bullet shells picked from the ground. The lady who was close to tears also narrated how she escaped from being shot at as a young boy jumped at her back while she ran and gunshots were fired at her back.
She also dismissed reports that her cousin died in the incident. The musician wondered why security operatives would shoot at defenceless civilians as if they were at war.
”A BOY JUMPED ON ME AND WAS SHOUTING COVER HER, COVER HER. I DIDN’T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHY HE DID THAT. THEY SHOT THAT BOY ON MY BACK. I FELL AND WHILE THE SOLDIERS WERE PICKING THEIR SHELLS, WE WERE RUNNING AROUND AND PICKING THEIR SHELLS TOO BECAUSE WE WANTED PROOF.
“THE MILITARY, THEY WERE THERE ON NIGERIAN SOIL, KILLING NIGERIAN CITIZENS. THE POLICE AND THEIR SARS LIKE PEOPLE CAME DOING THE SAME THING, AIMING AND SHOOTING. THEY WERE POINTING THE GUN AT US AND SHOOTING LIVE BULLETS. WHO TAKES LIVE BULLETS TO A PROTEST?
”I NEVER SAID 78 PEOPLE DIED. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT WHEN I WAS DOING THE LIVE, 7 PEOPLE HAD DIED. WHEN MY PHONE DIED, WE HAD COUNTED ABOUT 15 PEOPLE. I DON’T KNOW IF IT WAS MORE THAN THAT. WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE STRAY BULLET WOUND, GUNSHOT WOUNDS, AND ALL THAT.
“PEOPLE DID DIE. IT WASN’T PHOTOSHOPPED. I MUST BE A TECH GENIUS TO PHOTOSHOP A LIVEFEED.
“TO OUR LEADERS, I URGE YOU TO PLEASE NOT INSULT THE INTELLIGENCE OF NIGERIANS AND THE FAMILIES”, she narrated.
DJ Switch thanked all that supported and prayed for them, saying #EndSARS continues until the goals are achieved.
”WE MUST CONTINUE TO MOVE. WE MUST CONTINUE. IF WE STOP I FEAR IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE NEXT 60 YEARS BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN. WE MUST CONTINUE PEACEFULLY. I CONDEMN ANY SORT OF VIOLENCE. I CONDEMN THE BURNING OF BUSES AND PEOPLES LIVELIHOOD”, she said.
Recall that the attack on the #EndSARS protesters occurred hours after the Lagos State Government imposed a curfew in the state. The protesters seemingly defied the order and continued their sit-in despite the announcement of the curfew which was to start by 9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20.
The shooting by military men however started before 9 p.m with DJ Switch live streaming the protest and the shooting until her phone went off.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who apologised and showed empathy for the sad incident had denied that any protester was killed by soldiers.
Recall that President Muhammad Buhari in his broadcast on Thursday did not single out for mention the alleged shooting of protesters by soldiers in Lekki. some Nigerians who have reacted to the president’s speech as the one that lacks empathy for families of those that lost loved ones to the Lekki Toll Gate incident.
