The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS-related Abuses and Other Matters has at last made known its findings with the revelation that no fewer than nine #EndSARS protesters were killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.

The victims were either shot by soldiers or the police, the report said.

The report noted that 96 other corpses were presented by a Forensic Pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Professor John Obafunwa, thus bringing total number of deaths in Lagos to 109.

This puts to rest the debate over whether the incident of October 20, 2020 was a massacre or a hoax. The report which was presented to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu detailed 48 names as those who were casualties of the Lekki incident of October 20, 2020. While some persons were marked shot dead, some were marked injured while a few were declared as missing,

According to the 309-page report, nine protesters at Lekki tollgate were confirmed dead while four others were presumed dead as they were still missing as at the time of writing the report. This brings the number of those feared dead  at Lekki tollgate alone to 13.

Among the 48 casualties listed, 24 sustained gunshot injuries, while 15 were assaulted by  security personnel – soldiers and police.

The report reads inter alia: ” The evidence before the panel shows that after the Nigerian Army left, Nigeria Police Force, followed up with the killing of the protesters, shooting directly at fleeing protesters into the shanties and the Lagoon at the Lekki Phase 1 Foreshore, close to the Lekki Toll Gate, floating corpse and one shot close to Serah Ibrahim.

“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.

“Three trucks with brushes underneath were brought to the Lekki Toll Gate in the morning of October 21st October, 2020 to clean up the scene of bloodstains and other evidence.

“The testimony and report of Professor John Obafunwa, a forensic pathologist of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, showed that three 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.

“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.”

The panel  which sat for over one year treated 235 petitions and awarded N410 million as compensation to 70 victims

A member of the Panel, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, wrote a note following the submission of the Report to Sanwo-Olu. Below is his report on the Report:

Lagos EndSARS Panel Submits Report (1)

The Lagos State Judicial Panel on #EndSARS has today, November 15, 2021, submitted its report to the Lagos State Government, in a brief ceremony at Government House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

The Panel was inaugurated on October 19, 2020, to look into complaints of citizens against human rights abuses by the police. Following the incident at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, the Terms of Reference of the Panel was expanded to cover that incident.

The Panel sat for well over one year, listening to testimonies of petitioners, their witnesses, experts and lawyers. The Panel divided its assignment and report into two principal segments to cover general cases of police abuses and the special case of the Lekki Toll Gate Incident.

Compensation was paid to deserving cases of police abuses while a special case was made for victims of the Lekki Toll Gate Incident of October 20, 2020.

True to his word, the Governor of Lagos State granted total independence to the Panel, as we worked according to our conscience and based upon our common convictions.

Specifically for the Lekki Toll Gate Investigation, we set up certain crucial issues for determination, as to whether:

There was any protest at the Lekki Toll Gate, the nature of the protest, the presence and mission of soldiers at the Lekki Toll Gate, whether blank or live bullets were shot by the soldiers, whether there was any death and if so, the numbers involved, whether there was any massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, and if so, what evidence is available in proof thereof, whether the police were at the Lekki Toll Gate and if so, whether they shot and killed the protesters, etc.

The Panel answered these questions truthfully, frankly and courageously, based on the evidence led before it, believing that the crimes against humanity that took place at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, would never happen again in our nation.

In particular, the Panel affirmed the rights of the people of Nigeria to constitutionally guaranteed freedom of lawful assembly and peaceful protests, freedom of association and freedom of expression.

The Panel made far-reaching recommendations concerning the major actors that were found culpable, in order to achieve true healing and reconciliation.

Although I have my own copy of the report of the Panel, I will trust His Excellency the Governor of Lagos State to fulfill his promise to Nigerians to make the findings and recommendations of the Panel public. That is the only way to build a true nation and avoid a repeat of the atrocious acts of security agencies against our people, especially the youths, the vulnerable and the helpless.

I thank the Government and people of Lagos State, fellow Panel members, the Nigerian Bar Association, Civil Society, our Comrades far and near, the media and all those who inspired and encouraged us on the path of truth and justice.

At the presentation ceremony today, the Governor promised two things:

1. To set up a Four-Man Committee led by the Honourable Attorney-General to prepare a White Paper for the purpose of implementing the findings and recommendations expressed in the report and to give it legal backing; and
2. To send the report to the National Economic Council for implementation.

It is my view that Lagos State having appeared before the Panel as a party, having tendered documents before the Panel and led witnesses to take a position on the Incident of the Lekki Toll Gate, it will be unfair and improper for Lagos State to be a judge in its own cause, by seeking to review the report of the Panel. However, the Governor explained to me that this would only be done to enable the government implement the findings and recommendations of the Panel and not to tamper with it or mutilate it. I believe His Excellency.

I will however keep observing the turn of events and at the appropriate time, one may be forced to state the FULL contents of the report if the promises made are not fulfilled.

I can NEVER and will NEVER subscribe to anything that would amount to covering up the report of the Panel.

We have done our work in the best way that we could. Nigerians should demand for justice against all culprits who have been named in detail, in our report.

God bless Nigeria.

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN

Lekki, Lagos.

15/11/2021