The Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade , Victoria Island , Lagos, Brigadier General Ahmed Taiwo , said on Saturday that the Chief of Army Staff , Lt . – Gen . Tukur Buratai , ordered the deployment of soldiers undergoing training at military schools for the Lekki exercise due to the shortage of troops .
This was part of the revelations at the ongoing Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged shooting of unarmed # EndSARS protesters by soldiers on the night of October 20 at the Lekki tollgate. The soldiers were deployed to enforce the curfew imposed on the state by the governor , Mr Babajide Sanwo- Olu .
When he appeared to testify before the panel , Taiwo said because “ the 81 Division was short of troops , the Chief of Army Staff gave an extraordinary order that all Army schools should be shut down and everybody should be brought to the operation . ”
He said incidentally he had only a day before, as an examiner of the Nigerian Army Intelligence, taught the trainee soldiers about internal security techniques , adding that he pointed out to them on the operation day how it was unbelievable that only a day after learning the rules , they were going for an operation in internal security .
