#EndSARS: ‘Most Lekki Victims Suffered Fractures, Machete Wounds, Minor Injuries’

Most of the injuries recorded in the aftermath of the alleged
shootings at the Lekki Tollgate and environs were predominantly
fractures, machete wounds and minor cuts, the Lagos State Judicial
Panel probing the incident heard on Tuesday.

Lagos Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, told the panel that
many of the people reported to have been killed refuted their
rumoured deaths.

Muri-Okunola testified following his invitation by the panel to
help unravel the truth following controversy over October 20
incident.

The army and police have been accused of opening fire on and
killing an unknown number of #EndSARS protesters at the tollgate
plaza.

But the Army’s 81 Division, which appeared thrice before the
panel, denied the allegations, saying soldiers fired blank bullets
in the air to disperse the crowd.

It has, however, shunned repeated summons by the panel requiring
it to respond to petitioners’ further questions and evidence
debunking its claims.

There are no fewer than 14 petitions relating to the shooting
incident, out of the 235 petitions received by the panel between
October and December 2020.

In his testimony, Muri-Okunola gave oral, visual and documentary
pieces of evidence on the Lekki shooting incident.

Pointing at the projector showing visuals of when the Governor
visited injured #EndSARS protesters at the hospitals, the Head of
Service said: “These are some of the pictures of the hospitals that
we visited.

“In this Reddington Hospital, these individuals were injured in
that axis, some of them alluded to being injured in a stampede of
running, falling over each other.

“Predominantly, there were about 13 people injured in Reddington
Hospital Admiralty Way. The General Hospital also had 12
patients.

“The doctors in charge said there was one of those patients that
were being moved to LASUTH (Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital) who had more severe injuries from machete wounds.

“At the time we were there, most of the injuries were all in the
nature of cuts, bruises from machete wounds and stampede. Nobody at
the hospitals said they were shot at.”

Muri-Okunola noted that there has been controversy about the
actual number of alleged deaths at the Lekki Toll Incident but that
since last October 22, many of the people reported to have been
killed refuted their rumoured deaths.

He pointed out that Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus, Stephen
Becky, Iraby of Oto-Auch and Joshua Ogbodo who were said to have
been killed during the Lekki shooting denied the rumour.

Others are “Anthony Chechukwu alleged to have been shot by
soldiers at the Lekki tollgate; (he) has been confirmed to have
died in a motorcycle accident and Lucia Adu who was claimed to have
died at the Lekki Toll Gate was confirmed to have been killed in an
accident involving a stationary truck on 20th October 2020.”

The HoS, who gave a chronological order of events from 8 October
to 20 October 2021, said the “protesters congregated in two major
hotspots” in the state, Alausa Government House and the Lekki Toll
Gate.

He noted that on October 9, 2020, Deputy Governor, Obafemi
Hamzat alongside other officials spoke to the protesters who
converged at the Lagos Government House in Alausa, on their rights
to demonstrate peacefully and shared foods and drinks with the
protesters, he said

He noted further that on 13 October, Sanwo-Olu again visited the
#EndSARS protesters and went “straight to the airport” to present
their five-point demands to President Muhammadu Buhari and the then
Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu.

A “statement was released by the spokesman of the President,
Femi Adesina that the Nigerian Government had agreed to the
five-point demand of the #EndSARS protesters.”

Muri-Okunola said some days later, some “guerilla protesters”
hijacked the “noble” demonstration which prompted Sanwo-Olu to
announce a curfew.

He added: “Violence escalated throughout the city of Lagos, with
hoodlums infiltrating and… the peaceful protest of this
decentralised movement of #EndSARS.

“Across the city, young men were manning makeshift checkpoints
and barricading major roads and stopping cars on routes. They were
not carrying the placards and signs that had characterised earlier
peaceful protests. The lives of both protesters and the rest of the
citizens alike were put in danger.

“At about 10am on the 20th of October 2020, a police station was
set on fire by suspected hoodlums who had hijacked the #EndSARS
protest in a reprisal attack fuelled by the alleged shooting of one
of them by a policeman.

“Hoodlums who had carted away ammunition looted from various
police stations around the city unleashed mayhem around the city
while destroying properties, mugging innocent citizens and
threatening the lives of everyone that they came in contact
with.”

The Head of Service disclosed that Sanwo-Olu confirmed two
deaths, one of which was said to have died as a result of blunt
force trauma at Reddington Hospital.

During cross-examination, Muri-Okunola confirmed that he heard
that military men from Bonny Camp were at the Lekki tollgate and
based on video evidence they were armed and “shots were fired.”

Nevertheless, he noted that the police and the army in the state
confirmed that their officers were not deployed specifically to the
Lekki tollgate on 20th October 2020.

One of the lawyers representing the #EndSARS protesters, Mr
Adeshina Ogunlana, contended Sanwo-Olu ought to come forward and
testify.

But panel chairperson, Doris Okuwobi reminded Ogunlana, a former
chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) Ikeja Branch, of the
Constitutional provision relating to state executives.

She said the Governor was not “compellable” because he has been
conferred immunity by the constitution under section 308.

Most of the injuries recorded in the aftermath of the alleged
shootings at the Lekki Tollgate and environs were predominantly
fractures, machete wounds and minor cuts, the Lagos State Judicial
Panel probing the incident heard on Tuesday.

Lagos Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, told the panel that
many of the people reported to have been killed refuted their
rumoured deaths.

Muri-Okunola testified following his invitation by the panel to
help unravel the truth following controversy over October 20
incident.

The army and police have been accused of opening fire on and
killing an unknown number of #EndSARS protesters at the tollgate
plaza.

But the Army’s 81 Division, which appeared thrice before the
panel, denied the allegations, saying soldiers fired blank bullets
in the air to disperse the crowd.

It has, however, shunned repeated summons by the panel requiring
it to respond to petitioners’ further questions and evidence
debunking its claims.

There are no fewer than 14 petitions relating to the shooting
incident, out of the 235 petitions received by the panel between
October and December 2020.

In his testimony, Muri-Okunola gave oral, visual and documentary
pieces of evidence on the Lekki shooting incident.

Pointing at the projector showing visuals of when the Governor
visited injured #EndSARS protesters at the hospitals, the Head of
Service said: “These are some of the pictures of the hospitals that
we visited.

“In this Reddington Hospital, these individuals were injured in
that axis, some of them alluded to being injured in a stampede of
running, falling over each other.

“Predominantly, there were about 13 people injured in Reddington
Hospital Admiralty Way. The General Hospital also had 12
patients.

“The doctors in charge said there was one of those patients that
were being moved to LASUTH (Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital) who had more severe injuries from machete wounds.

“At the time we were there, most of the injuries were all in the
nature of cuts, bruises from machete wounds and stampede. Nobody at
the hospitals said they were shot at.”

Muri-Okunola noted that there has been controversy about the
actual number of alleged deaths at the Lekki Toll Incident but that
since last October 22, many of the people reported to have been
killed refuted their rumoured deaths.

He pointed out that Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus, Stephen
Becky, Iraby of Oto-Auch and Joshua Ogbodo who were said to have
been killed during the Lekki shooting denied the rumour.

Others are “Anthony Chechukwu alleged to have been shot by
soldiers at the Lekki tollgate; (he) has been confirmed to have
died in a motorcycle accident and Lucia Adu who was claimed to have
died at the Lekki Toll Gate was confirmed to have been killed in an
accident involving a stationary truck on 20th October 2020.”

The HoS, who gave a chronological order of events from 8 October
to 20 October 2021, said the “protesters congregated in two major
hotspots” in the state, Alausa Government House and the Lekki Toll
Gate.

He noted that on October 9, 2020, Deputy Governor, Obafemi
Hamzat alongside other officials spoke to the protesters who
converged at the Lagos Government House in Alausa, on their rights
to demonstrate peacefully and shared foods and drinks with the
protesters, he said

He noted further that on 13 October, Sanwo-Olu again visited the
#EndSARS protesters and went “straight to the airport” to present
their five-point demands to President Muhammadu Buhari and the then
Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu.

A “statement was released by the spokesman of the President,
Femi Adesina that the Nigerian Government had agreed to the
five-point demand of the #EndSARS protesters.”

Muri-Okunola said some days later, some “guerilla protesters”
hijacked the “noble” demonstration which prompted Sanwo-Olu to
announce a curfew.

He added: “Violence escalated throughout the city of Lagos, with
hoodlums infiltrating and… the peaceful protest of this
decentralised movement of #EndSARS.

“Across the city, young men were manning makeshift checkpoints
and barricading major roads and stopping cars on routes. They were
not carrying the placards and signs that had characterised earlier
peaceful protests. The lives of both protesters and the rest of the
citizens alike were put in danger.

“At about 10am on the 20th of October 2020, a police station was
set on fire by suspected hoodlums who had hijacked the #EndSARS
protest in a reprisal attack fuelled by the alleged shooting of one
of them by a policeman.

“Hoodlums who had carted away ammunition looted from various
police stations around the city unleashed mayhem around the city
while destroying properties, mugging innocent citizens and
threatening the lives of everyone that they came in contact
with.”

The Head of Service disclosed that Sanwo-Olu confirmed two
deaths, one of which was said to have died as a result of blunt
force trauma at Reddington Hospital.

During cross-examination, Muri-Okunola confirmed that he heard
that military men from Bonny Camp were at the Lekki tollgate and
based on video evidence they were armed and “shots were fired.”

Nevertheless, he noted that the police and the army in the state
confirmed that their officers were not deployed specifically to the
Lekki tollgate on 20th October 2020.

One of the lawyers representing the #EndSARS protesters, Mr
Adeshina Ogunlana, contended Sanwo-Olu ought to come forward and
testify.

But panel chairperson, Doris Okuwobi reminded Ogunlana, a former
chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) Ikeja Branch, of the
Constitutional provision relating to state executives.

She said the Governor was not “compellable” because he has been
conferred immunity by the constitution under section 308.