……We are not pleased with Sanwo-Olu
…We have not been petitioned over shootings at Lekki
The Nigerian Army on Saturday denied using live ammunition on unarmed #EndSARS protesters, during the alleged Oct. 20 shooting at the Lekki Tollgate before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Army made the denial before the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters.
Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, who testified on behalf of the Nigerian Army said that the military had fired blank ammunition into the air to disperse protesters on the night of the alleged shooting.
Taiwo, who gave a presentation to the panel with the use of a projector, played a footage which showed soldiers standing in front of singing protesters and firing their weapons into the air.
He said there would have been a lot of fatalities if the 600m live ammunition normally used by the military were used to disperse the #EndSARS protesters.
“I have been in the army since 1986 and you cannot be under fire and be singing.
“The entry hole for the 600m is thin while the exit is wide, if it hits you in the chest or the bowels, the intestines comes down.
“I am an expert in ammunition having spent so long in the army. Blank ammunition is slower and can do no damage to the flesh and you have nothing to fear except you take a rifle, put it against your eye and fire.
“Even if you put it against your skin and fire you will only have burn marks,” he said.
Taiwo said that troops had managed to disperse most of the #EndSARS protesters, and had even shared drinks from protesters who had remained at the Lekki Tollgate.
He said he was monitoring the situation on the internet, and that it was after the departure of the soldiers that hoodlums set the tollgate on fire.
He said that non-kinetic (non violent) means was used in the Army’s rules of engagement during the protests.
Following his revelation, Taiwo through the counsel of the Nigerian Army, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), presented four spent blank ammunition to the panel as evidence.
NAN reports that Taiwo told also the panel that there was a lapse in communication between the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Army regarding the imposing and lifting of the curfew.
“Due to the urgency of the security situation in the state, the governor declared a 24-hour curfew which was supposed to start at 4pm.
“They wanted everyone off the streets to deal with the hoodlums, but after some observations the timing was shifted to 21:00 hours, but this timing was not communicated to the Nigerian Army.
“Be that as it may, we the Nigerian Army had already immediately deployed the 65 Battalion under the 81 Division Garrison to forestal all further violence and loss of lives.
“It is important to note that this deployment of troops contrary to reports, was done throughout Lagos to activate Phase 4 of the Internal Security Operations,” Taiwo said.
The officer told the panel that the Army had entered the Stabilisation Phase of the Internal Security Operations, and had started recovering looted items when the Lagos State Government lifted the curfew without informing them.
“We were still recovering a lot of looted items which were given back to the owners on production of receipt or proof of ownership.
“If the curfew was not lifted we would have recovered a 100 times more than the items we recovered,” Taiwo said.
Displeased with Sanwo-Olu
The Nigerian Army on Saturday told the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters that they are displeased with the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu..
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Army made the remarks on Satuday, while narrating their version of events of the alleged shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate.
Addressing the panel on behalf of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, said the military was unhappy with the governor due to utterances he made in the aftermath of the #EndSARS mayhem.
“The Nigerian Army is unhappy with the governor over two things. The first instance is the denial that he asked us to intervene.
“He had called the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. -Gen.Tukur Buratai
and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) after asking the Commander 9th Brigade to intervene, but the Commander could not intervene because procedure was not followed.
“The Commander 9th Brigade asked him to call the COAS and the GOC, Maj.-Gen Uwem, but the governor did not have the GOC’s number and neither did the GOC have the governor’s number.
“The GOC was on assignment in Abuja and saw a number of missed calls from an unknown number, and when he called back, they were able to speak at some point; but he had called the COAS,” he said.
Taiwo noted that it was after the phone call with the COAS, that the 81 Brigade of the Nigerian Army was ordered to enter into phase four of the internal security operations of the Nigerian Army.
He said that phase four was necessary because Lagos had already descended into chaos with blocking of major highways by hoodlums, the looting of businesses, destruction of police stations and the killing of policemen.
“The second instance is when the governor said two people died and he said one person died in Admiralty Road due to blunt force trauma.
“Admiralty Road is about three kilometers from that place (Lekki Tollgate). He said they saw the police brought in a body to the mortuary in Yaba, Lagos. The distance from Lekki to Yaba is far,” he said.
No formal petition over alleged shooting
The Nigerian Army has said that they have not received any formal petition over their alleged shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Tollgate on Oct. 20.
The counsel for the Nigerian Army, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), made the assertion on Saturday before the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses ad Other Matters.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo was called to give evidence on behalf of the Nigerian Army on the events of Oct. 20.
“I must submit today that there is no allegation whatsoever against the Nigerian Army before this panel.
“I urge your lordship to discountenance any proposal that the testimony of the Nigerian Army should not be allowed because of a proposed petition.
“Unfortunately for reasons known to most of us, the Nigerian Army could not give their testimony when they were summoned on the last adjourned date. It is a very respectable organisation.
“The Nigerian Army is here again ready to testify, and they have set up their projector and is ready to discharge the summons.
“I repeat, as at six minutes to 11am today, no petition has been served against the Nigerian Army, if any petition has been served, we will respond,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika(SAN) the counsel representing seven #EndSARS protesters had said that he had been unable to make a formal claim on behalf of his clients before the panel.
Olumide-Fusika said that the panel’s Terms of Reference only covered matters relating to the Nigerian Police and the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and that his complaint is against the Nigerian Army.
He also noted that the panel must be set up by a legal instrument and apart from the tweets from the Lagos State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu stating that a panel will be established.
“We applied for the copy of the instrument establishing the panel by the governor, but we were refused on the ground that freedom of information Act does not apply to Lagos State.
“We applied here this morning and the secretary said there is no authority that states that it should be granted to us,” Olumide-Fusika said.
He sought the panel’s directive as to whether the Nigerian Army should give evidence during proceedings because according to him, “their presence here today is not mature”.
Meanwhile, the head of the nine-man panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd) in a ruling stated that the alleged shootings at Lekki covered the panel’s Terms of Reference.
“The Lekki incident was not covered by the original instrument of the panel and it was amended on Oct. 21 to include the Lekki incident.
“The amended instrument is a public document which should not be shrouded in mystery, I have a copy here with me if Mr Olumide-Fusika pleases,”Okuwobi said.
