#EndSARS Lekki Tollgate massacre: Panel insists many “unknown” corpses were victims of Lekki Toll Gate incident, not Ikoyi Prison riot [Pt. 10]
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The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters (Lagos EndSARS Panel) has released some shocking discoveries from the Lekki Tollgate shootings of October 20, 2020 as a massacre.
The panel indicted Nigerian soldiers and other security agents in the killing, forced disappearances and injuring of tens of harmless and unarmed youths protesting police brutality at the Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020.
Below is part ten of a 309-page report submitted to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Monday by the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel tagged “LASG JPI Report Of The Lekki Incident Investigation Of 20th October 2020.”
Theis is the concluding part of the ten-part Special Report based on the shocking findings by the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry.
In this this part, the Panel holds the view that a large number of the corpses tagged unknown were victims of the Lekki Toll Gate incident, and not from the riot in Ikoyi Correctional Centre as projected by the government agents, “being an institution with proper records to identify such corpses”:
15. Injuries from gunshots
I. The Panel finds that the testimony of Dr. Babajide Lawson of Reddington Hospital as to the nature of treatment offered victims of the Lekki Toll Gate 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.
II. The Panel finds corroboration of the case of gunshot wounds in the testimony of Dr. Aromolate Ayobami of Grandville Trauma Centre, where several victims of gunshot wounds were treated comprehensively and discharged.
III. The testimony of the EndSARS protesters, especially Miss Serah Ibrahim, Mr. Onileowo Legend, Miss Dabira Ayuku, Miss Kamsichukwu (all of whom were personally present at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20), as to the fact that the Army shot live bullets, video evidence of casualties, fatalities, etc, all lend credence to the fact that the Army shot at the protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20 2020 which resulted into deaths and other physical injuries.
IV. 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 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.
V. The testimony and report of Professor John Obafunwa, a Forensic Pathologist of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, showed that three (3) corpses were deposited at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba Hospital, all from the Lekki Toll Gate and the autopsy conducted thereon revealed death from bleeding caused by penetrating objects or rifled weapon.
VI. The Panel finds that the fact of lack of identity of some of the other 96 corpses on the list supplied by Professor Obafunwa would not obliterate the fact that some of them could have come from the Lekki Toll Gate 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 Professor Obafunwa.
VII. The Panel finds that most of the 96 corpses for which autopsies were conducted by Professor Obafunwa remain unidentified but they were labelled with EndSARS, apparently lending credence to the case of the EndSARS protesters that the shootings by security agencies resulted in mass deaths.
VIII. The Panel finds that the manner of the occurrence of the incidences at the Lekki Toll Gate did not present proper procedure of cordoning off the scene, inviting forensic experts and pathologists, crime experts and others involved in such situations.
IX. The Panel finds that difficulty in identifying the corpses could have been avoided had Lagos State Government provided timely and adequate funding to conduct DNA tests as was done in the cases of DANA Air crash and Synagogue Church building collapse.
X. The Panel is reluctant to accept the view that a large number of the corpses tagged unknown were from the riot in Ikoyi Correctional Centre, being an institution with proper records to identify such corpses and that these may be part of the Lekki Toll Gate casualties.
XI. In particular, General Taiwo admitted knowledge of Major Osoba Olaniyi, who put out a statement on behalf of the Nigerian Army admitting that the Army was present at the Lekki Toll Gate and they shot but not at the protesters.
XII. The Panel finds that the firing of live bullets by the Army at genuine protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, resulted in grievous injuries and the loss of lives of the protesters.
XIII. Panel also finds that the shooting of the protesters by the Nigerian Army at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020 was unwarranted, excessive, provocative and unjustifiable in the circumstances of the state of the protests which was peaceful and orderly.
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16. Philanthropy of hospitals and medical personnel
Panel commends Reddington Hospital, Vedic Life Healthcare, Grandville Trauma Centre, Doreen Hospital, National Orthopedic Hospital, Victoria Island Consultancy and Medical Services and all the medical doctors and personnel that attended to the victims of gunshot wounds from the Lekki Toll Gate and treated all of them free of charge.
Panel finds that some of the victims required urgent surgeries and complicated medical procedures to save their lives and all were done free of any charges. Panel recommends them for special awards by the Lagos State and Federal Governments.
17. Forensic evaluation
The standard and ideal crime scene investigation protocol in forensics which is to preserve, secure, record, examine and investigate a crime scene as soon as a crime is reported was not employed in this case.
The non-preservation of the crime scene occasioning the investigation defiles, standard and international best practices.
