Abayomi Omomuwansa, managing director of the Lekki Concession Company, operator of the Lekki toll gate, has said security cameras mounted by the company stopped recording, therefore did not capture soldiers’ shooting of #EndSARS protesters on Tuesday, October 20.
He stated this on Tuesday when he tendered the video footages of the incident to the Lagos State Panel of Inquiry and Restitution looking into allegations of brutality and killings by men of the SARS as well as soldiers’ shooting at the Lekki tollgate which according to witnesses cost 15 protesters their lives and left scores injured.
According to Omomuwansa, the cameras stopped working from 8pm on the night of the shooting, adding it was tampered with. Multiple reports show the shooting started around 7pm.
“I can confirm that inside here is the video footage that our surveillance camera was able to record for the 20th of October,” he said.
Omomuwansa said the surveillance cameras are called PTZ; wherein P enables the camera pan; T enables the camera tilt, and Z allows the camera to zoom.
“I can confirm categorically that we never ever tampered with that surveillance cameras. That’s why we can still get the footage. Until 8 o’clock when it was tampered with and we couldn’t get any footage anymore,” he said.
The judicial panel had visited the tollgate where the LCC assured it that the recording from its closed-circuit television system (CCTV) on the night of the incident was intact.
The company had also said the power outage on the night of the shooting was because its staff were withdrawn from office locations; hence they could not switch on backup generators when power was interrupted.
Hoodlums wearing army uniform behind Lekki shooting – Attorney General Abubakar Malami
Meanwhile, Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), has said it is likely that hoodlums wearing military fatigues — and not soldiers — shot #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos state.
About three weeks ago, thousands of youths nationwide trooped out alongside celebrities like Runtown, Falz, Davido, Phyno, amongst others, to demand an end to police ruthlessness, extortion and killings. The demonstration was largely peaceful until protesters began to be attacked by hired thugs.
The protests involved calling for the disbandment of the brutal SARS unit.
The police unit was disbanded but the protests persisted as citizens demanded reforms in the force.
Protesters converged on the tollgate for 13 days before they were forcefully dispersed by soldiers who fired live rounds at them.
Speaking with journalists on Monday in Abuja, the AGF said investigation is underway to ascertain what truly happened at the Lekki tollgate.
Malami said it was “pre-emptive” to conclude that there had even been shootings, adding that “hoodlums” may have been hired to create a scene.
“You cannot rule out the possibility of perhaps hoodlums that set in to create a scene… could equally partake in the process,” the AGF said.
The Lekki tollgate incident had sparked off outrage across the country.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos state governor, blamed the incident on “forces beyond my direct control”.
But the Osoba Olaniyi, acting director, army public relations, said the Lagos government invited the army to restore order.
However, he denied that soldiers shot protesters, describing reports on the attack by the military as fake.
The army also said it will not disclose the identity of its men who were sent to Lekki tollgate on October 20.
The judicial panel set up by the Lagos state government to probe alleged brutality by the disbanded SARS has already commenced sitting.
The panel visited the Lekki tollgate last Friday.
