Lekki Shootings: No petition against Nigerian Army, legal team says

By Lawrence Audu

The Nigerian Army legal team has disclosed that there is no petition against the Nigerian Army before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS and Related Abuses.

Leader of the team, Akinwolu Kehinde, said the Nigerian Army is not under any form of trial over the shooting at the Lekki tollgate that allegedly resulted in the death of #EndSARS protesters.

Kehinde, who led the legal team to submit its report to the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja, said no person or group petitioned against the Nigerian Army over the October 20 incident.

According to him, the Nigerian Army was never summoned but was rather invited to throw light on what happened at the Lekki tollgate.

He said, “I want it to be clear that at no point in time was the Nigerian Army summoned as a respondent, at no time was the Nigerian Army mentioned. Army was there to throw light on what happened”.

Kehinde added further that, “at the end of the presentation. The NA was able to explain its involvement, we were able to establish that the NA did not set out on its own to intervene; the Nigerian Army was called because the civil Police was overwhelmed. We were able to show the footage, both oral and visual to show the role of the Nigerian Army”.

Responding shortly after receiving the copies of the report, the Chief of Army Staff who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant General Lamidi Adeosun, said the Nigerian Army is a professional organization that is guided by rules and regulations.

He noted that it’s one of the obligations of the Nigerian Army to assist civil authorities in line with its rules of engagement, when invited.