Nigeria: DJ Switch recounts Lekki Toll Gate shooting

Together with scores of other #EndSARS protestors, DJ Switch came under gunfire from security operatives at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20 October while demonstrating against police misconduct. Her testimony comes a day after Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the nation about the ongoing unrest in the country, though he failed to speak directly to the Lekki incident.

Displaying bullet shells, which she claimed were collected from the scene of the demonstration, DJ Switch revealed that at least 15 civilians died during Tuesday night’s shooting, contradicting Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s claim in a state broadcast on Thursday that no deaths were recorded at the toll gate. He tweeted that one person who was admitted at the Reddington Hospital in Lagos had died “due to blunt force trauma to the head,” though he didn't confirm if it was a protestor. 

“Yes, there were soldiers there,” Switch said tearfully. “They switched off the lights and it was pitch black. While the soldiers were running around and picking their shells, we were running around and picking shells too. The police and SARS [the now-dissolved Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad] were also there, aiming and shooting.”

DJ Switch also accused the military of carting away dead bodies in vans to conceal evidence and debunked allegations that the footage she shared had been doctored. “People did die. It wasn't photoshopped. I must be a tech genius to have photoshopped a live video.”

Reacting to her account, many of DJ Switch's musician colleagues including rapper Falz, Mister P of P-Square fame, Don Jazzy and Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji lauded her courage in the face of death, calling her a heroine.

Addressing #EndSARS protestors at the Nigeria High Commission in London on 21 October in solidarity with victims of the Lekki shooting, Burna Boy lauded the new generation of Nigerians as “relentless and tireless,” adding that “if change must come, we must be ready not to lose focus and go the long haul.”

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu in a Friday statement announced the easing of the round-the-clock curfew that was imposed hours before the Lekki shooting from 24 October from 8am till 6pm. He also implored the youth in the state to cease the protests, assuring his office’s commitment to bring restoration to the state. “We will rebuild bridges, we will deliver on the good work we started on ending police brutality and providing justice,” he said.

The #EndSARS campaign, which has now expanded to include demands of social justice, improved economic opportunities and accountable governance, has been met with solidarity from around the globe. The shootings have also been met with global condemnation, including from UN secretary-general António Guterres, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, former US vice-president Joe Biden and former US secretary of state Hilary Clinton, as well as pop singers Beyoncé and Rihanna.