Thirteen months after the judicial panel of inquiry constituted by Lagos State Government to unravel the allegation of killings of protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, by Nigerian Army personnel, the panel has come with its findings. 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE brings you 11 of these findings:
1. Nine people were killed in the protest.
2. There are 48 casualties – 47 victims males, one female.
3. Described the killing of unarmed protesters as a “massacre.”
4. It was alleged and corroborated that the soldiers had their vans parked at the Lekki Toll Gate and removed as many bodies and corpses of the fallen.
5. Miss Dabira Ayuku also corroborated the above by stating that she saw about 7 dead bodies placed in one of the military trucks at the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of 20th October 2020.
6. It was alleged and corroborated that soldiers picked bullet shells on the night of October 20 and policemen followed up on the morning of October 21 to pick bullet shells.
7. Several unidentified bodies were removed by security agencies and LASEHMU (Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit) and deposited at various hospital mortuaries in Lagos state.
8. Three (3) trucks with brushes underneath were brought to the Lekki Toll Gate on the morning of October 21st October 2020 to clean up the scene of bloodstains and other evidence.
9. There was abundant evidence before the panel that the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) indicated in its Twitter handle that it had effectively cleaned up the Lekki Toll Gate scene immediately after the incident of October 20, 2020.
10. The denial of ambulances by the soldiers, which could have assisted in the prompt and effective treatment of injured protesters, was cruel and inhuman and it contributed immensely to a large number of deaths and casualties on the part of the protesters, especially those from the Lekki Toll Gate.
11. The panel finds the cases of death or injured protesters as credible and uncontroverted.
