The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution established to investigate the alleged brutality and high-handedness by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force has paid an unscheduled visit to the Military Hospital in Falomo, Ikoyi Area of Lagos State.
Members of the panel who were on a mission to unravel some mysteries surrounding an alleged shooting of the peaceful protesters at Lekki Toll Gate recently were initially denied access but later allowed into the premises after about 30 minutes of strong engagement.
A member of the panel, Ebun Adegboruwa, told the soldiers that the panel came to the hospital because it had intelligence that might help with its investigation.
According to him: “The facility is relevant to our investigation. We have a pathologist. We are here on the authority of the president, not only the governor. We are following due process, and it is important we visit the mortuary as it will help our findings.
“If we are not allowed access, we will go back and take other actions. We won’t force ourselves in. We have confidential information that the military hospital here is relevant in the investigation of the Lekki event. We heard this hospital is controlled by the 65 battalion and under the 81 division. We are also taking steps to reach military authorities.”
The Panel, led by Justice Doris Okwuobi (Rtd.), including Youth Representatives, Rinu Odulala and Temitope Majekodunmi, interrogated the tollgate officials about the condition of their security cameras and other equipment, after which they also visited a morgue inside the Hospital to extract some information that is instrumental to the panel’s investigation.
It would be recalled that witnesses of the Lekki shooting have accused military officers of taking away the dead bodies of those shot at the scene where 15 protesters were reportedly killed.
READ ALSO: LEKKI SHOOTING: ‘Barracks Where Soldiers Who Shot Protesters Came From Has Been Identified’ – Falana
While taking the group round, the Managing Director of the Lekki Concession Company, Mr Yomi Omomuwansa, said most of their equipment were damaged by hoodlums who set it ablaze as a result of the unfortunate incident, which he described as ‘an aftermath of the shooting.’
Today’s meeting is the second since the panel was inaugurated on October 27.
