Metro
Lekki Shooting: How Soldiers ‘Packed Lifeless Bodies’ Into Vans – Witness
- The protesters were calling for an end to police brutality when they were attacked by soldiers at the toll gate
A witness on Saturday narrated before the panel on police brutality in Lagos how soldiers shot at protesters at the Lekki Toll Plaza on October 20, 2020 and “carried lifeless bodies” into their van.
Olamilekan Sanusi, who appeared before the panel, said he was part of those who volunteered to clean the protest ground, especially the stage area. He said he counted “at least 10 bodies after the gunshots”.
Sanusi said that at about 6:30 p.m., he heard gunshots and saw people running towards Oriental Hotel.
“I saw men of the Nigerian army. Later when they said we should sit on the floor, I saw a military man and I saw protesters carrying lifeless bodies to the military men’s feet,” he said.
“Later on, I counted ten people at the feet of the military men, they were not moving, they were lifeless. Later on, I saw them carrying people close to Diamond Bank, they were packing bodies and putting them in the van.”
Read also: Lekki Shooting: #EndSars Coordinator Submits Flash Drives As Evidence To Lagos Panel
Sanusi said an officer, who said he was acting on a directive of “power beyond him,” came on the stage and pleaded with the protesters to go home.
He also said the officer requested that they nominate five representatives among themselves to discuss with him but they turned him down.
Protesters at the Lekki Tollgate during the #EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality in October 2020
“After coming down from the stage, I think he left and the shootings began again,” he said.
“Then three military men came to the stage, destroying things, scattering mixers, poles and speakers, then they pushed some speakers on me. I fell, I could not move but I could hear what people were talking.
“I heard one woman crying, and saying, ‘you must not die,’ I could hear a car on motion and I was trying to open my eye, I saw the woman in blue, drenched in blood holding a man and saying ‘you must not die.’
“I woke up at a military hospital and was later referred to Marina General hospital. The person that brought me there told me that six protesters were in the hospital and I was in a coma for seven hours.”
Sanusi said that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited them at the hospital and gave them ₦10,000 each, and he used his to get drugs and clothes.
“The doctor had to beg me to sit on the chair with my drip because many protesters were still coming. More than 11 people died in the hospital and some were laid on the floor. In the toilet there was blood everywhere,” he said.
Sanusi said that one of the nurses advised him to leave because the soldiers were coming to “finish protesters in the hospital.”
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“I sneaked out of the hospital using the small entrance door leading to the governor’s road.”
He told the panel he wants the Lekki Tollgate to be dedicated to those who were allegedly killed by the Nigerian Army on October 20 2020.
“I want the panel to find those who ordered the shooting and I want the tollgate to be a memorial ground.”
The chair of the panel, Doris Okuwobi, admitted the X-ray evidence of the witness and marked it exhibit A.
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