'Our Reporting Was Meticulously Done' - CNN Responds To Nigerian Govt

In response to the Federal Government's lashings against CNN over its reporting on the killings of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos.

CNN, on Wednesday, released an investigation it had conducted into the killings of protesters at the Lekki tollgate by military officers on October 20.

The investigative piece pointed to proof - contradicting the denial of the Nigerian Army - that live bullets were used and not blanks on protesters.

The information minister, Lai Mohammed, had described the report as "blatantly irresponsible and a poor piece of journalistic work by a reputable international news organization."

He went on to say, "CNN engaged in incredible sensationalism and did a great disservice to itself and to 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."

CNN's Response

Responding to the comment, CNN defended its reports, saying that it was "meticulously researched".

It said, “Our reporting was carefully and meticulously researched, and we stand by it.

“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.

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“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, a 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.”