Your Information Is Capable Of Setting Nigeria On Fire – Lai Mohammad To CNN

The Federal government has written a letter to CNN, condemning its documentary on the October 20 shooting incident at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos, saying the report is capable of setting the nation on fire.

In a letter dated November 23 and addressed to Jonathan Hawkins, VP, communications, CNN, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said the report fell short of journalistic standards and also reinforced the disinformation that is going around on the issue.

The Minister also averred that the media house failed to show a balanced reportage.

The letter in part reads

“Our attention has been drawn to an ‘investigation’ by CNN, entitled ‘How a Bloody Night of Bullets Quashed a Young Protest Movement’ and aired on 18 Nov. 2020, in which the international news organization said it had ”uncovered that Nigerian security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters” at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, Nigeria, during the #EndSARS protest,” the letter read.

“In the first instance, the report did not live up to the most basic of the core principles of journalism – balance and fairness.

“Rushing to air such a momentous story without presenting the government’s side is inexcusable and indefensible. CNN said it contacted over 100 protesters and family members, but did not speak to one official of Nigeria’s federal government. While CNN said there was no response from the army and that officials of Lagos State would not speak in view of the Judicial Panel that is investigating the matter, it did not say what effort it made to speak with any official of the federal government.

“The truth is that CNN did not even attempt to reach the federal government. Nima Elbagir, who presented the report and most probably led the investigation, is conversant with the Minister of Information and Culture, yet did not say that she even tried to reach the Minister.

“Another serious breach by CNN, in its ‘investigation’, is that the network relied heavily on unverified footages it harvested from social media. CNN was not present at the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of the incident. Neither its reporter nor cameraman was there, but it relied on eyewitnesses.”