The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters has confirmed that at least nine persons lost their lives to army’s live bullets during the #EndSARS protest which held at the Lekki toll plaza on October 20, 2020.
The panel led by Justice Doris Okuwobi made this known in a report submitted to the Lagos state government on Monday.
In the report, the panel confirmed that after series of investigations conducted on the #EndSARS protests of October 20 revealed that military personnels deployed to Lekki toll plaza shot at protesters as 48 persons fell victims of the invasion by the military.
The report said among the 48, nine persons were confirmed dead, about 20 sustained gunshot injuries, while 13 others were assaulted by the military.
Those killed, according to the report, were Victor Sunday Ibanga, Abuta Solomon, Jide, Olalekan Abideen Ashafa, Olamilekan Ajasa, Kolade Salami, Folorunsho Olabisi, Kenechukwu Ugoh and Nathaniel Solomon.
The report also listed Abiodun Adesanya, Ifeanyi Nicholas Eji, Tola and Wisdom as “presumed dead.”
Recall that many Nigerians across the country took to the streets in October, last year to protest against police brutality, among other issues.
The protest began with Nigerians demanding for the disbandment of the now defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), over alleged excessive use of power and other criminal activities.
On the night of 20 October 2020, at about 6:50 p.m, some military officers allegedly opened fire on protesters present at the Lekki toll plaza.
Since the incident, the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu, who initially denied reports of any loss of lives, later admitted in an interview that only two persons were killed.
Also, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed had on many occasions denied reports that the army shot at the #EndSARS protesters.
Meanwhile, the panel constituted to investigate the incident of October 20, in a report titled, ‘Report of Lekki Incident Investigation Of 20th October 2020’, indicted soldiers and implicated other security operatives in the killing of unarmed youths.
The 309-page report described the incident that occurred in Lekki toll plaza on October 20 as a massacre.
The report read in part, “The atrocious maiming and killing of unarmed, helpless and unresisting protesters, while sitting on the floor and waving their Nigerian flags, while singing the National Anthem can be equated to a massacre in context.
“It was alleged and corroborated that the soldiers had their vans parked at the Lekki tollgate and removed as many bodies and corpses of the fallen protesters, which they took away with their vans.”
The panel in its findings said “the testimony of Dr Babajide Lawson of Reddington Hospital as to the nature of treatment offered victims of the Lekki Tollgate Incident in relation to gunshot wounds, which were high velocity ‘entry and exit’, all indicate injuries from military weapons, consistent with the bullet shells recovered by the panel during its visit and the witnesses that testified before the panel.”
The panel stated further findings as follows; “The panel finds corroboration of the case of gunshot wounds in the testimony of Dr Aromolate Ayobami of the Grandville Trauma Centre, where several victims of gunshot wounds were treated comprehensively and discharged.
“General Taiwo was shown video clip 202010.wa0313 of Hq81D file where protesters were shouting that the Army had shot and killed. He admitted seeing someone lying on the ground with what looked like blood, but stated that the video was fake when he did not produce his own original video on behalf of the Army.
“The testimony and report of Prof John Obafunwa, a forensic pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, showed that three corpses were deposited at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba Hospital, all from the Lekki Tollgate and the autopsy conducted thereon revealed death from bleeding caused by penetrating objects or rifled weapon.
“The panel finds that the fact of lack of identity of some of the other 96 corpses on the list supplied by Prof Obafunwa would not obliterate the fact that some of them could have come from the Lekki Tollgate incident of October 20, 2020 or that some other unidentified corpses may have been removed by their families or the military, as claimed by the #EndSARS protesters, far and beyond the list tendered by Prof Obafunwa.”
The findings in the report have continued to generate massive reactions from Nigerians. Many have wondered why the government was trying hard to conceal the truth from the people.
Here are some of the views generated from the social media;
“Shattered so many lives, tried to destroy mine. Only for what you desperately tried to hide to be made public… by you!
“The truth needs no defense! #EndSARS”(@Dj switch)
“I’m mildly irritated that we needed a judicial panel to validate what we all saw with our eyes and heard with our ears.
Simply because some gaslighting SOBs chose to propagate a lie instead.#LekkiMassacre #EndSARS(@oluafolabi).
“Not all Heroes wear capes DJ SWITCH is one of them, Her bravery, her strength and her voice at the lekki toll gate massacre is worthy of many commendations, Thank you DJ Switch #EndSARS.
“We won’t forget the lost souls at the lekki toll gate massacre #LekkiMassacre,”(@Princess)
“The Panel has reach its conclusions and they’ve rightly said “there was a MASSACRE”. And for all of you who choose to gaslight and ask for proof… I have attached some for you.
“#EndSars was war against unarmed Nigerian youths! 20th of October 2020 shall remain COLD,”(@bolarinwaiyanu)
