Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Lai Mohammed claims that the 2020 EndSARS protests that shook Nigeria were aggravated not by a failure of government communication, but by a deluge of fake news and disinformation, according to a former Minister of Information and Culture. Speaking at a high‑level forum at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on Friday, April 24, 2026, Mohammed described the movement as a "classic example" of how misinformation can inflame a volatile situation, arguing that the crisis revealed the "dangerous power of disinformation in real time".
The #EndSARS protests began on October 8, 2020, as a peaceful, youth‑led campaign against police brutality, specifically calling for the disbandment of the Special Anti‑Robbery Squad (SARS). The movement swiftly gained global traction through the hashtag #EndSARS on social media, with the Lekki Toll Plaza in Lagos becoming its symbolic epicentre. According to Mohammed, the protests were initially a legitimate expression of public grievances. However, he claimed that after the government deployed troops to the toll gate to disperse demonstrators, the situation was taken over by "those with ulterior motives" and then amplified by "unverified and, in some cases, doctored" reports across both traditional and digital platforms.
"The problem we had was not the usual communication gap between the government and the citizens," Mohammed said. "It was fake news and disinformation, coupled with unbridled violence. The biggest challenge came when the government deployed troops to the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos to disperse the protesters. That's when fake news and disinformation escalated." He specifically singled out international media coverage, accusing CNN of relying on "unverified or manipulated content", which he alleged helped shape a global narrative that did not fully reflect events on the ground.
Mohammed's remarks were published in statements by various Nigerian news outlets, including Vanguard, The Punch, Daily Trust, and Blueprint, all dated April 26 or 27, 2026. The former minister's media aide, Nnamdi Atupulazi, said Mohammed made the comments during a LSE engagement that also featured his new book, Headlines & Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration (2015–2023).
The ex‑minister used the same platform to defend other controversial communication policies of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He insisted that the 2021 suspension of Twitter (now X) was not impulsive but a necessary step after "repeated efforts to secure cooperation from the platform to curb misinformation, incitement and divisive content" had failed. He also touted the government's COVID‑19 communication strategy, which he said was built from scratch without a global template, reaching approval ratings of between 97 and 98 per cent in weekly polls. Mohammed further claimed that a media tour he led to areas once controlled by Boko Haram in the North‑East "countered extremist propaganda" and reshaped public perception of the military's progress.
Reactions to Mohammed's remarks were immediate and sharply divided. Civil society groups and human rights activists condemned his characterisation of the EndSARS protests, accusing him of gaslighting and deflecting attention from documented incidents of excessive force. The "Defend #EndSARS" coalition issued a statement calling his claims "offensive to the memory of those who lost their lives during the demonstrations", and urging an independent international inquiry into the events.
Conversely, some government officials and pro‑administration commentators lauded Mohammed's narrative, arguing that social media abuse and the weaponisation of fake news remain major threats to national security, and that his analysis aligns with findings from fact‑checking organisations that have documented widespread misinformation around the protests.
As the 2027 general elections approach, Mohammed's comments have thrust the issue of digital regulation back into the spotlight. While the government has not announced any immediate policy changes, Mohammed's insistence on stronger fact‑checking systems and media responsibility is likely to fuel ongoing debate about online speech, press freedom, and the boundary between legitimate criticism and harmful disinformation.
The former minister's LSE event marked the end of a three‑day UK speaking tour, which also included stops at Abbey College Cambridge and St John's College. His book, which chronicles his eight years as the federal government's chief spokesman, had been published earlier in 2026.
The #EndSARS protests remain one of the most defining civil‑rights moments in modern Nigerian history. The government's own panel, the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, had recorded testimonies of alleged killings and brutality. The panel's report was never officially released, and no prosecutions of security personnel resulted from the protests.
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