Obianuju Catherine Udeh also known as DJ Switch, has disclosed that soldiers, who fired gun shots at peaceful #ENDSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, on October 20, 2020, said that they were sent to the protest venue on orders from above.
DJ Switch made this revelation while speaking with the Sub-committee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the parliament of Canada.
While recounting the incident that brought about the deaths of about many protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, DJ Switch noted that the military men opened fire on the protesters after they created a three-formation line.
She debunked the Nigerian Army claims that soldiers fired blank bullets into the air by saying that the soldiers shot at them.
As reported by Saharareporters, Switch told the Canadian parliament that she counted no fewer than seven shot persons and added that one of the military men threatened to shoot her.
While recounting the incident that happened on October 20, she said, “On October 20, 2020, we had spirited Nigerians there united with one goal against police brutality against bad governance.
“What started out as a protest against police brutality with the unit called SARS unfortunately degenerated into something I still find hard to reconcile within my heart.
“We got information that the government wants to see me and six other people and I remember saying to them that we have no leader and if the government wanted to speak with us, he should kindly come to the toll gate and address Nigerians because we have been out for eleven days.”
While talking further, she added that she heard the first gunshot from behind and said that there was chaos as people were running helter-skelter so as not to be hit by bullet until announcement came that protesters should lie on the floor.
She said, “As we didn’t know where the gunshots were coming from and what they are about and then the lights went off.
“I remembered the military came in first, they stopped shooting at some point and I walked up to one of them and I asked why he was shooting at us and he said he had express order from above, and I was coming too close to him and if I come too close, it would be considered an attack on him and he would have to shoot.
“It didn’t take another ten minutes, the shooting started again. I remember seeing seven people that have been shot down and we were telling people on my live Instagram to help us call an ambulance.”
Furthermore, she disclosed that after the military were commanded to stop shooting by a senior military officer, officials of the Nigeria Police Force were drafted to the toll gate and continued to shoot at protesters, who did not leave the protest ground.
She made it known that she has been in hiding after threats to her live by unknown people.
She said she first thought it was an empty threat until she got a call that the military were planning to arrest her.
She said: “I have been on the move because they have been after my life. The first threat came in, I thought it was a joke, I sincerely thought it was a joke.
“Just as I was leaving, I got a phone call that I should leave the vicinity because there are military men at the hospital.
“I had to abandon my home, I moved from people’s home, and then just to get out of Nigeria. I am still travelling, and I am not done with my trip.”
