Lagos State Head of Service testifies at Lagos State judicial panel, recounts how EndSARS protest turned violent, resulting in the destruction of private and public assets and infrastructure.
The Lagos State Head of service (HOS) Mr. Hakeem Muri Okunola honoured the witness summons served on him as he appeared before the Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters sitting in Lagos today Tuesday 22nd June, 2021.
The head of service was summoned by the panel to give testimony on the official experience of the Lagos State government with regards to the EndSARS protests with particular focus on the Lekki tollgate plaza incident of 20th October 2020.
Led in evidence in Chief by his counsel A. J. Owonikoko (SAN), Mr. Hakeem Muri Okunola narrated how the EndSARS protest started peacefully across the state with two major focal point of convergence notably in front of Government house Alausa Ikeja and at the Lekki tollgate plaza on the Lekki Epe expressway on the 8th of October, 2020.
He recounted how the protest started following social media mobilization of youths as a result of the excesses of the disbanded SARS unit of the Nigeria police force which gained notoriety for rights abuses and violations.
Mr. Hakeem Muri Okunola explained how the protest started peacefully and protesters were addressed by top government fuctionaries including the Governor and the deputy Governor amongst others in front of the government house Alausa Ikeja and at Lekki tollgate plaza between the 9th and 13th October 2020 notwithstanding the molestation of the deputy Governor by the protesters at the Lekki tollgate protest ground on the 12th October 2020 and the verbal and physical assault on even the Governor on the 13th of October 2020 at the Alausa Ikeja protest end.
Mr. Okunola told the panel how the protest turned bloody resulting in criminality from the 12th October 2020 which reached the crescendo on the 19th of October 2020 with visible threats to law and order by hoodlums who had taken over the protest and displaced the originators of the EndSARS protesters by infiltrating them.
The HOS in his evidence in Chief gave oral, visual and documentary evidence to back up his testimony, as he submitted a flash drive which contained visual and documentary images, videos and power point presentation of protesters, private and public properties destroyed which range from BRT buses and terminals in Oyingbo and Ojudu Berger to the judiciary with the destruction and looting of the high court and magistrate court in Igbosere Lagos Island, the media with the burning down of TVC and private vehicles at it’s premises at Alapere Ikosi Ketu and The Nation newspaper at Matori Mushin, Burning down of Ajeromi Ifelodun local government council headquarters and the looting of offices equipments and burning of vehicles in the premises, the attack and complete burning down of Orile Iganmu police station, Ajah police station, Ajeromi police station, Amukoko police post, Isokoko police station Agege, pen cinema police station Agege, part of Ojodu police station, Akinpelu police station, Ebute Ero police station, Elemoro police station, killing of policemen, looting and vandalization of police stations, burning of police vehicles, private cars and impounded vehicles at police stations, carting away of arms and ammunition and the release of detained suspects, burning down of computerized Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) offices in Elemoro Ibeju Lekki, Ikotun, Ojodu, Oko Afo Badagry, etc, sack and burning of Royal palaces notably the palace of the Oba of Lagos and Elemoro of Ibeju Lekki, burning down of of an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicle in front of the Oba of Lagos palace, burning down of fire service office and fire fighting equipments and vehicles at Ikotun, burning down of part of the Teslim Balogun stadium, attacks, looting and burning of Nigeria ports authority (NPA) building and cars parked in the premises, attacks and vandalization of banks ATM notably First bank plc, FCMB and GTB on Adeniran Ogunsanya street, Surulere, attacks and looting of shopping malls and shops notably ShopRite in Lekki, Ajah and Adeniran Ogunsanya Surulere, circle mall, food City, Samsung shops, phone shops, private events centres and private business warehouses. Lagos State government owned City Hall on Catholic mission street and events theatre off Opebi link bridge were torched among other assets and properties.
Mr. Okunola then went on to explain how the Governor set up an incident command center at the Government house Marina comprising Mr. Governor, the deputy Governor and some other government functionaries to monitor developments and respond appropriately.
That on the 20th of October 2020 and following from the heightened security concerns arising from the threat to law and order occasioned by the burning down of Orile Iganmu police station, killing and attack of policemen, release of detained suspects and the carting away of arms and ammunition by hoodlums, arising from a security council meeting, the Lagos State government imposed a 24 hour curfew to commence at 4pm but was later shifted to 9pm due to concerns raised by Lagosians on traffic congestion and the impediment it might contribute to Lagosians getting home before the earlier commencement time announced for the curfew.
Mr. Okunola then stated how following the announcement of the imposition of the 24 hour curfew, all the security apparatus of the state were activated to enforce it. But unfortunately, at about 6.45pm on the 20th of October 2020, a phone call was received about reported shootings at the Lekki tollgate plaza of the Lekki Epe expressway and when security agencies heads were questioned, they all denied that it was their men.
The HOS then informed the panel that subsequently, the state emergency response machinery and ambulances were activated to the Lekki tollgate plaza with the Commissioner for health mobilized to access medical institutions for treatment of the injured and then information surfaced on the social media that it was military men from Bonny camp that went to the Lekki tollgate plaza.
Mr. Muri Okunola further stated that following the Lekki tollgate plaza incident shootings, Mr. Governor then informed his team of the need to go out that night to assess the situation physically but was strongly advised against such action by the security details, but in defiance to security advice, Mr. Governor embarked on the assessment visits at about 00.30am of Wednesday 21st October 2020 commencing with a visit to the General hospital Lagos Island that had about 12 patients all with injuries not related to gun shots, then to Reddington hospital Admiralty way, Lekki which had 13 patients of similar fate of injuries such as fracture as a result of stampede, machete wounds, etc, but none with gun shot injuries based on interaction with the medical experts on ground, Mr. Okunola stated that he was a member of the Governor’s entourage.
Mr. Okunola also referred to Mr. Governor’s address to the state on the 21st of October 2020 where he appealed for calm and stated that based on his visits to hospitals earlier in the day, that there was no casualty from the Lekki tollgate plaza incident, but by 11am, Mr. Governor was informed by Reddington hospital Lekki that one of the patients had died from blunt force trauma, same situation was recorded in Yaba. He then recounted how the Governor and some members of his executive council went on an assessment tour of destroyed public and private properties and assets across 27 locations within the state.
Mr. Muri Okunola also tendered police record of incidences of the EndSARS protest obtained from the Nigeria police force Lagos State command which was admitted as exhibit.
The HOS was then cross examined by Mr. Adeshina Ogunlana of identified EndSARS protesters movement, followed by Mr. Rotimi Seriki of Lekki Concession Company (LCC) and at the end of the cross examination, the panel adjourned the Lekki tollgate investigation and the testimony of the Lagos State Head of Service (HOS) to 29th of June 2021 for further hearing.
The panel then went ahead to listen to the adoption of final written address on two other petitions by counsels and adjourned it’s decision on the petitions to a date to be communicated to counsels in due course.
The panel sitting continues.
