Nigeria’s former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has opened up about the personal toll his tenure under former President Muhammadu Buhari took on him, particularly during the 2020 #EndSARS protests. In a recent interview ahead of the launch of his book Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration, Mohammed revealed that his family endured severe harassment and bullying, both online and offline, due to his involvement in the government’s handling of the protests. This, he said, led them to urge him to step down from his position.

Family Pressured Him to Resign

Mohammed, who served as the public face of the government’s communication strategy during the protests, admitted that the backlash from the #EndSARS movement deeply affected his family. He claimed that his relatives faced widespread bullying, which caused their businesses to suffer significantly. He recalled a family meeting where his loved ones urged him to resign from his post to protect them from further harm.

“During EndSARS, one of the toughest moments in my life was when my family met and asked me to resign. They were bullied online, bullied offline. Their businesses suffered. They said, ‘We are not benefiting from this thing, so why are you exposing us?’” Mohammed said.

He added that he had to explain to his family that there were certain things he knew and understood that they could not see, suggesting that he had been privy to information that shaped his decisions and actions during the crisis.

The Lekki Tollgate Controversy

A central point of contention during Mohammed’s tenure as Information Minister was the Lekki Tollgate shooting, which occurred during the #EndSARS protests. Despite widespread international condemnation and claims of a massacre, particularly after CNN’s reporting, Mohammed repeatedly denied the accusations, calling the narrative of a massacre at the tollgate “fake news.”

“Nobody ever said nobody died during #EndSARS. People died in Abuja, in Kano… but the claim that there was a massacre at the tollgate is fake news,” he insisted during the interview, doubling down on his position that CNN’s coverage relied on unverified second-hand information.

Defending Buhari’s Legacy

The former minister also used the interview to defend the legacy of his former boss, President Buhari. Despite criticisms of the Buhari administration, particularly in relation to security issues like banditry, Mohammed argued that Buhari’s leadership in reclaiming territories from Boko Haram should be viewed favorably. He recalled his visits to Borno State in 2015, where vast territories were under Boko Haram control before Buhari’s leadership.

However, he dismissed criticisms of Buhari’s handling of the growing banditry crisis, suggesting that banditry and Boko Haram’s insurgency were fundamentally different issues, with distinct causes and motivations.

A Controversial Legacy

While Lai Mohammed remains a polarizing figure due to his defense of the government’s controversial actions during the #EndSARS protests, his recent comments provide insight into the personal challenges he faced during his tenure. His reflections on family pressure, public backlash, and his defense of the government’s hardline stance against protests offer a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of his ministerial career.

His book, Headlines and Soundbites, is set to be launched on December 17, 2025, coinciding with the posthumous birthday of former President Buhari. The book is expected to offer a more detailed account of the media moments that defined the Buhari administration, providing Mohammed’s perspective on the most contentious issues of his time in office.