Nigerian army used live bullets on protesters – CNN Investigation report

A CNN investigation has alleged that the Nigerian army used live bullets on protesters during its intervention in the #EndSARS protests in Lekki, Lagos state.

CNN said a forensic probe of the bullet casings recovered from the scene of the protests shootings revealed that live bullets were fired at the protesters.

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It said current and former Nigerian military sources confirmed that the bullet casings fired at the protests “match those used by the army”.

Two ballistics experts also confirmed that the shape of the bullet casings indicate they used live rounds, CNN said.

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The network also said it worked with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network and “established that several of the bullets from the Lekki toll gate originated from Serbia. Export documents CNN has seen show that Nigeria purchased weaponry from Serbia almost every year between 2005 and 2016”.

The Nigerian army has repeatedly denied using live rounds, insisting that its soldiers used blank bullets and shot only into the air at the protests.

The American cable network also unveiled the identity of a protester who reportedly died on the night of the protest.

He was named as Victor Sunday Ibanga.

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Before the publication of Ibanga’s picture, no dead protester had been publicly identified.

Others who were previously reported dead later came out to deny — or it turned out they died elsewhere before the October 20 protests shooting.

Obianuju Udeh, aka DJ Switch, who streamed the shooting live on Instagram, said she counted 15 dead bodies.

A protester who testified before the judicial panel set up by the Lagos state government to investigate the incident said he saw one dead body.