We have 3 categories of Nigerians on the Lekki ‘Massacre’.
Believers– those who believed with their lives that a Massacre took place. To these people those denying that a Massacre happened are evil and conscienceless people. They don’t want anyone to challenge their claim.
Non-Belivers– those denied that a Massacre happened and are prepared to do everything to show or convince others that it didn’t happen. To them any claim without evidence is just an attempt to blackmail the government and country.
Proof Seekers– those who neither believed nor denied that a Massacre happened. They want evidence- real evidence to make up their minds. They have open minds and willing to change their minds with superior evidence.
A Massacre– mass unlawful killing of people is a genocide- a serious crime anywhere in the world. To successfully prosecute the crime of murder- not to talk of mass murder, real and verifiable evidence is needed.
Let us assume but not concede that a Massacre happened and that soldiers carried it out unlawfully, and arrest the soldiers and put them on trial for murder, what evidence are we going to use to prosecute them successfully? We need the bodies of those allegedly killed, their family members to prove that their loved ones were killed and others. Suspicion is not enough to sustain a charge or charges of Massacre.
By Barrister Kurtis Adigba
