Army Not Happy That Gov. Sanwo-Olu Denied Inviting Us – Brigadier Taiwo Tells Lagos Panel

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Brigadier Ahmed Taiwo, has said that the Nigerian Army is unhappy that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, denied inviting them to come and help restore calm at the Lekki Toll gate area of the state on October 20.

Brigadier Taiwo said this on Saturday while addressing members of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State government to investigate cases of police brutality.

“The Nigerian army was not happy about two things. The first is his (Governor Sanwo-Olu’s) denial that he asked us to intervene when in actual fact, it was the proper thing to do,” he complained.

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“He called the Chief of Army Staff and the GOC 81 division and asked for intervention because the police had been overrun”.

The Army Commander made the comments after presenting videos before the panel as part of evidence of the violence that had erupted across the state.

“I’m sure that after we have watched everything, we have seen that he had reasonable grounds to ask the army to intervene,” he said.

Brigadier Taiwo reiterated the army’s earlier position that officers were only deployed on the orders of the state government.

Recall that on his part, the Governor had denied ordering the deployment of the military, attributing the situation to “forces beyond his control”.