OYOGist.com has learned that the members of the Lagos State Judicial Investigation Commission, investigating the Lekki tollgate massacre, were allegedly informed on Friday that the military hospital mortuary is currently being renovated.
The panel’s unscheduled visit to the military hospital at the Ikoyi area of Lagos State took place after eye witnesses claimed that military officers who opened fire on the protesters allegedly took the bodies of those killed in the incident to an unknown location.
A military officer identified as Brigadier General AI Taiwo told the investigators that the morgue had been under renovation since October 2019. After initial resistance by the soldiers, which lasted about 30 minutes, the discussion participants were allowed to enter the hospital grounds.
The Brigadier General and other soldiers brought the panelists, led by the President, Judge (ret.) Doris Okwuobi, to the hospital morgue.
According to the PUNCH report, a renovation of the facility was underway.
Asked whether the hospital had a functioning morgue, Mr Taiwo said: “This place has been undergoing renovation since October last year.” However, the Committee Chairman thanked Taiwo and his men for their cooperation.
Earlier, a member of the committee, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, said that the committee’s task was to inspect the hospital’s morgue. He said that the panel had received a tip that prompted the unscheduled visit.
Addressing reporters, Adegboruwa said: “We received information off the top of our head, we could not warn them about the importance of what we were about to do; it is an investigation. So if we give information in advance, it could jeopardise the core of the investigation.”
“We are exercising our mandate on behalf of the Governor of the State of Lagos in accordance with the law of the Courts of Inquiry.”
“We have already today inspected the Lekki toll and also decided to make an unscheduled visit to the morgue of the military hospital because we have confidential information about certain events that took place here at the hospital.”
“We do not want to come to any conclusions until we have access to this morgue for inspection. We have a pathologist with us who will help us with the medical examination of the bodies we can find in the morgue.”
At least 30 young people were injured when uniform soldiers opened fire on the #EndSARS demonstrators at the Lekki tollgate on 20 October 2020.
Eyewitnesses also reported that about seven people were killed in the attack, which was widely condemned at the local and international level.
The bullets discovered by the members of the panel at the Lekki toll station
It should be recalled that during the inspection of the panel members on Tuesday, five bullets were discovered at the Lekki Tollgate.
The panel, chaired by the President, retired Judge Doris Okuwobi, questioned Lekki Tollgate officials about the condition of their cameras and other equipment.
The CEO of Lekki Concession Company (LCC), Yomi Omomuwansa, said as he led the panel through the facility that most of the equipment was damaged when it was set on fire by thugs after the EndSARS demonstrators were shot at the tollbooth.
Rinu Odulala and Temitope Majekodunmi, the youth representatives on the court panel, were also present during the inspection of the Lekki Tollgate. Human rights activist Segun Awosanya, popularly known as Segalink, is also a member of the inspection panel.
The panel was sworn in by the LCC representative at its resumed meeting on Friday. After consulting the panel, the LCC representative confirmed that they have pictures of the Lekki shooting.
