Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State, has dismissed accusations that he was behind the gruesome massacre of #ENDSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate area of Lagos on Tuesday night, October 20, 2020.

Tinubu, who was interviewed via a telephone call by a Channels Television reporter, Olu Philips, said:"I will never be part of any carnage. The use of live ammunition (against the protesters) is condemnable in totally."

Many have accused Tinubu, a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, of being the mastermind behind the military deployment as an attempt to disperse protesters and secure his Investment in the Lekki Toll gate. 

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The killings had attracted global outrage against the Nigerian authorities as men of the Nigerian Army were accused of shooting protesters at the Lekki toll gate area of Lagos State.

About 15 persons were reported dead and many others injured after soldiers allegedly opened fire on unarmed protesters in the dead of the night.

Sequel to the toll gate killings, angry youths on Wednesday, October 21, attacked some businesses linked to Tinubu, including The Nation newspaper and Television Continental (TVC). 

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Responding to the allegations, Tinubu said he did not order the shooting of protesters. "There is a limitation here, I can only control my personal security guards," he said. 

Tinubu also condemned the use of live ammunition against peaceful #ENDSARS protesters. 

Tinubu explained that he was "extremely shocked" when he heard about the shooting and that he was ready to "complain to the highest level."

“It is early hours of the morning, there’s no way I can talk to the authorities or wake them up now. I have tried to reach the NSA, I have tried to reach the head of the army.

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“You don’t call the president at this hour, but I strongly condemn the act. There are other means of settling or dispersing protest. Why would they use live bullets? There are rubber bullets,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu denied having any business interest in the Lekki Toll Gate where the shooting took place.

Reports say an advertising company owned by Tinubu’s son, Oluseyi, owns an electronic billboard at the Lekki Toll Plaza.

Protesters who survived the incident said light in the area, including the billboard, was turned off before the shooting.

The advertising company, however, said it deactivated its facility in compliance with the curfew declared by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, unaware that tragedy would later struck at the location.

The former Lagos Governor said when the #EndSARS protests were going on in Lagos, people falsely accused him of being behind it and reported him to the presidency.

Recall that Eons Intelligence earlier reported that Prof. Alexander Adebisi, a lecturer in the department of History and International Relations at the University of Ibadan had claimed that Tinubu is sponsoring the on-going #EndSars protests in the South-Western part of Nigeria.

Prof. Adebisi alleged that the former Governor was bankrolling the protest in order to cripple the country and disrepute the President Buhari administration on the global front.

Tinubu however expressed sympathy for the victims of the incident and advised the federal Government to “fish out whoever gave the order (for the shooting) and put them on trial”.

He said the Government has been slow in bringing to justice officers of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS whose unlawful actions caused the protests in the first place.

He, however, said he did not believe President Muhammadu Buhari authorised the shooting.

“I am not even sure yet they are Nigerian army, I am not sure how well the uniforms of the army are controlled. But that is not as critical as the bloodshed that has occurred,” he said.

Tinubu, who described himself as an “unapologetic protester”, appealed for calm. He said he was ready to “face all inquiries” over the incident.