The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has denied involvement in the deployment of Soldiers that opened fire on protesters involved in the #EndSARS protest at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State.
Tinubu made the denial in a telephone conversation played on Channels Television on Wednesday against the backdrop of the killing and injuring of protesters at the toll gate, which some also liked ownership to him.
He was accused of being a shareholder in Lekki Concession Company, which runs the tollgate.
He said of the involvement of the Nigerian Army in dispersing the protesters: “Why will they use live bullets?
“I will never, never be part of any carnage.
“I will never be part of that.”
On being a major shareholder in the LCC, Tinubu said: “I have no dime, no kobo investment in the tollgate.”
He said he was disappointed that despite all his moves to ensure the protest did not end in violence, he was still being blamed for it.
He said he had made overtures to the Presidency and also to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on the need to set aside compensation for victims of the atrocities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
He said: “We are about 13 to 14 days into the protests now.
“Before now, I was being accused and reported to the Presidency that I was behind the protests, that I was a sponsor of the protests….
“That was why he (Sanwo-Olu) set up the Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
“The governor has gone to the home of one of the victims to appeal to them.
“He has put N200 million together as part of restitution and compensation for those attacked.”