By Dansu Peter
The group said the US has vindicated the Nigerian Army of any wrongdoing during the protest in Lagos, exposing the conspiracy by Amnesty and its cohorts.
The report tagged ‘2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nigeria' released on March 30, 2021, said claims that Nigerian forces killed protesters were "unverified".
It explained that accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available at the end of the year.
And speaking on behalf of CALSER, Executive Director, Ayima Aluor, welcomed the U.S' report as it emphasises that the "bulk of the information in the public space was meant for mischief purposes and not a reflection of the events that transpired at the Lekki Tollgate".
According to Aluor, AI acted in malaise and must be sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others notorious for spreading fake news to the detriment of peace and unity in Nigeria.
The group further called on the United States to identify and blacklist staff of AI behind the mischievous report, denying an entry visa to the country for the next 10 years.
While demanding an unreserved apology from the supposed human rights group to the Nigerian Army, CALSER warned sponsors of acts of political violence in Nigeria to desist from their nefarious activities.
Read the full statement below:
The leadership of the Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights welcomes you all to the critical press conference in light of the United States Department of State's recent statement in its 2020 Reports on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria.
It is instructive to state that the events that led to the infamous EndSARS protests across Nigeria indeed opened a Pandora’s Box on the various conspiracies against the Nigeria Army's efforts in protecting and preserving the nascent democracy in Nigeria.
The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights views the statement as a welcome development for all lovers of democracy because it has indeed exposed the conspiracy against the Nigerian Army by Amnesty International and its cohorts.
The report was quite elaborate and explicit. It stated that the claims made by some organizations such as Amnesty International regarding the number of casualties at the Lekki Tollgate could not be verified.
It is thus our considered view that the Nigerian Army has been vindicated, which by and large reinforces the fact that the bulk of the information in the public space was meant for mischief purposes and not a reflection of the events that transpired at the Lekki Tollgate.
It is said that the likes of Amnesty International indeed went to town with a disjointed narrative meant to mislead the members of the unsuspecting general public towards wiping up sentiments and discrediting the invaluable role towards addressing the mayhem that was unleashed in the polity by some vested interest.
This is on the heels that the report explicitly stated that there is no evidence to back up the claims that, indeed, the Nigerian Army fired live bullets into the crowd of protesters at the Lekki Tollgate. We also wish to state that the conflicting numbers of casualties are the handiwork of paid political distractors hiding under human rights groups' nomenclature.
The statement further highlighted that accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available at year's end. Amnesty International reported ten persons died during the event, but the government disputed Amnesty's report, and no other organization was able to verify the claim.
The implication of the above stated is that Amnesty International acted in malaise and a reason why we are demanding an unreserved apology from Amnesty International and other unscrupulous groups for attempting to cause a crisis of unimaginable proportion.
The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights uses this medium to call on the relevant authorities to impose sanctions on Amnesty International to deter other individuals and groups that are notorious for spreading fake news at the detriment of peace and unity in Nigeria.
The likes of Amnesty International must be blacklisted for its mischievous narrative of a massacre at the Lekki Tollgate against the Nigerian Army. We are consequently demanding that Amnesty International and her staff and all persons behind the mischievous campaign against the Nigerian Army regarding the EndSARS protest in Nigeria be denied an entry visa to the United States of America for the next ten years.
This is especially important in light of the new revelation that has exposed the various conspiracies against the Nigerian authorities' efforts towards the preservation of nascent democracy in the country.
The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights is also conscious that if such anomaly is allowed to thrive, the larger consequences might be too big for Nigeria to bear given the spate of politically motivated tension in the country.
We also wish to use this medium to sound a note of warning to the sponsors of acts of political violence to desist from their nefarious activities as we shall not hesitate to mobilized Nigerians in their numbers to take to the street in a peaceful protest demanding an end to the activities of Amnesty International and other individuals and groups that are spreading fake news and misleading members of the unsuspecting general public.
Thus, our desire that the United States Department of State's statement should indeed reawaken the consciousness in Nigerians that certainly Amnesty International does not mean well for the country. As such, all must be done to ensure that its highly misleading campaign against Nigeria is nipped in the bud.
This message is also intended for all those acting as proxies for Amnesty International in the country to desist from any further campaign of deceit and illogical conclusions, as Nigerians are now more enlightened on issues of national interest.
The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights would remain at the vanguard of ensuring that individuals and groups with ulterior motives are exposed in the quest for peace and sustainable growth and development.
We thank you all for your time and attention. We desire that Nigeria shall overcome its adversaries within the shortest possible time.
God bless Nigeria.
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