Lekki Shootings: Army Reverses Initial Decision, to Appear Before Lagos Panel Saturday

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Obiajulu Joel Nwolu

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The Nigerian Army is set to appear before the Lagos State Panel of Inquiry on Saturday to answer questions relating to the acclaimed shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Tollgate area on October 20.

The development came after the Army last week declined invitation by the panel, noting that only the Lagos State government had the right to invite the army to appear before the panel.

Reports suggest that the army had acknowledged the panel’s invitation and the panel had scheduled Saturday, November 7 for the army to appear at the hearing billed to take place at the Lagos Court of Arbitration, Lekki Punch reports.

Nigerian youths had last month camped at the Lekki toll gate area demanding for an end to police brutality and extrajudicial killings allegedly perpetrated by members of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The protests which were initially peaceful turned violent when security operatives allegedly opened fire at the protesters at Lekki tollgate.

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, 81 Division of Lagos State, Major Osoba Olaniyi, whose solders were reported to have shot at the protesters had after the invitation by the Lagos panel said the army would not honour a summon from the panel as the army believed that it was not the panel’s duty to invite the them.

According to Olaniyi, the military would only appear before the panel on the reception of a direct invitation from the Lagos State Government.

Olaniyi said, “It is the state government that constituted that panel of inquiry. So, if anybody needs to get in touch with us to come, it is still the state, not the members.”

However, sources on Thursday said that the army had made a U-turn and would be presenting its case before the panel on Saturday.

Source: Punch