Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has described Disc Jockey Obianuju Catherine Udeh, better known as DJ Switch, as a “runaway DJ”.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja today to mark the first anniversary of the EndSARS protest, Mohammed accused Amnesty International, CNN, and Udeh of spreading falsehood.
Recall that the protest, which was against police brutality ended on a violent note after it was hijacked by hoodlums.
In the aftermath, security operatives were killed, government properties were torched while detainees were freed in some parts of the country.
Popularly known as DJ Switch, Udeh was one of the leading figures at the protest.
She was constantly at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, where the protest was held for weeks.
On the night when soldiers forcefully dispersed protesters, DJ Switch was on the ground to live-stream the protest on Instagram.
Many, who were not at the scene, including foreign and local journalists, relied on her account.
In subsequent interviews she granted after the incident, DJ Switch said soldiers fired live bullets at protesters on October 20, 2020.
There were reports that the authorities were after her, forcing her to flee abroad.
But recently, DJ Switch denied going abroad, saying she only went into hiding but did not leave the country.
At his press briefing, the minister accused DJ Switch of joining those who lied against security operatives.
Although he did not mention her name specifically, it was clear that he was referring to her.
The minister insisted that no one was killed by security operatives, accusing Amnesty International, CNN, and “a runaway DJ” of spreading falsehood.
“The testimony of ballistic experts before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry in Lagos contradicts the tales by the moonlight by Amnesty International, CNN, a runaway DJ and their ilk.”
“With the preponderance of evidence against any massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 20th 2020, we are once again reiterating what we said one year ago, that: The military did not shoot at protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 20th 2020, and there was no massacre at the toll gate.
“The only ‘massacre’ recorded was in the social media, hence there were neither bodies nor blood. Amnesty International, CNN, a runaway DJ and others like them should apologize for misleading the world that there was a massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate and for portraying the Nigerian military, police and other security agencies in bad light.”
