The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has reacted to CNN’s second report on the Lekki toll plaza shootings that happened on October 20.
Recall that the American news agency recently aired its second report on the Lekki tollgate shooting which includes a CCTV footage from the LCC and Brigadier-General Taiwo’s testimony of soldiers coming to the protest ground with live bullets.
However in an interview on NTA on Wednesday November 25, Lai Mohammed accused CNN of being desperate. He also alleged that the American news agency was caught spreading fake news and are now trying to escape it.
The Minister said;
“It shows that they (CNN) are desperate. The so-called recent development has been seen before. There is nothing new. If there is anything new, it is a contradiction of CNN’s position.
“What we are asking CNN is that where is your evidence? The military has been consistent. CNN contravenes the basic principles of journalism – fairness, and balance.
‘They did the story without contacting the Federal Government for its own side. They relied on second and third parties narratives.
“They (CNN) were caught spreading fake news and they are trying to escape.
“We are accusing them (CNN) of basing their stories on videos sourced on social media. CNN has been inconsistent. It also doctored the video it got.
“We are confident in our position.”
Commenting on the letter addressed to Jonathan Hawkins, VP (Communications), CNN Centre, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Lai Mohammed said;
“We have received an acknowledgement and we were told that the letter has been passed to the editorial team.”
