The atrocious killing of unarmed protesters at Lekki toll gate on the night of October 20, 2020, can be equated to a ‘massacre’ in context, the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters has said.
The Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel made this known in its report submitted to the Lagos State Government yesterday.
In the report, titled, ‘Report Of Lekki Incident Investigation Of 20th October 2020’, a copy of which was sighted by our correspondent, the panel said at least 48 protesters were either shot dead, injured with bullets wounds, or assaulted by soldiers who stormed the Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020.
Although the Lagos State Government has not released the report, civil advocacy group, Enough is Enough Nigeria, has.
Page 294 of the bulky 309-page report partly read, “The atrocious maiming and killing of unarmed, helpless and unresisting protesters, while sitting on the floor and waving their Nigerian flags, while singing the National Anthem can be equated to a ‘massacre’ in context.”
Also, page 295 of the report said, “It was alleged and corroborated that the soldiers had their vans parked at the Lekki Toll Gate and removed as many bodies and corpses of the fallen protesters which they took away with their vans.”
In its recommendations, the panel emphasised that all those involved in the attack on youths should be made to face disciplinary measures.