ADESINA Ogunlana, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja Branch has alleged that agents of the Lagos State Government are threatening the lives of eyewitnesses of the Lekki shooting.
Ogunlana said this on Friday during the resumed sitting of the Lagos state judicial panel for an investigation into police brutality and the October 20 Lekki shooting and alleged killing of peaceful ENDSARS protesters.
“I had intended to hide the identities of these individuals I am representing here today because of threats to their lives by agents of the state. They are here within,” said Ogunlana.
Presenting three persons before the panel, Ogunlana introduced them as Victoria Oniru, Dabira Ayuku and Perpetual Ikechukwu as eyewitnesses of the occurrence.
However, Abiodun Owonikoko and Rotimi Seriki who are the legal representatives to the Lagos State government and Lekki Concession Company respectively argued the status of EndSARS protest as a legal entity to be represented at the Panel by Ogunlana.
“EndSARS protest is a nebulous entity. There is no entity called EndSARS protest. My learned colleague is entitled to represent anybody according to the law but to claim to represent the protest is not known before the law.
“It is understandable if he represents the protesters but to be representing the protest itself needs to be cleared,” Owonikoko said.
In response to Owonikoko’s claim, Ogunlana said the sitting is a panel and not a regular court hence he can represent the protest.
“We are all here because of the EndSARS protesters and victims of police brutality. This is not a regular court. It is a fact-finding panel.
Following the presentation of the eyewitnesses and the argument, Doris Okuwobi, chairman of the panel, ruled that Ogunlana can represent the EndSARS protesters.
The Lagos state judicial panel is currently playing the CCTV footage of the Lekki Tollgate in order to confirm the actions of the soldiers who were at the scene of protest on the evening of Tuesday, October 20.
According to live streaming of the occurrence by a Nigerian disc jockey DJ Switch, soldiers were seen shooting at peaceful ENDSARS protesters.
