By The Nigerian Army has admitted that it took live and blank bullets to the Lekki tollgate in Lagos – the venue where #EndSARS protesters staged a peaceful demonstration against police brutality.
A representative of the army, Brigadier General Ahmed Taiwo, stated this on Saturday when he appeared before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State government to look into the allegations of brutality by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other issues raised by the Nigerian youths.
General Taiwo, who is the Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, however, informed the panel and others present that the live rounds were not used on the protesters.
He insisted that 85 per cent of bullets the military officers took to the protest venue were blank.
The brigade commander explained that the live bullets were meant for military operations along the Eti-Osa corridor, stressing that they were not for #EndSARS protesters.
At the beginning of Saturday’s session, the chairman of the judicial panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi, had called up the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to present the footage which captured the incident at the tollgate on October 20, to the watched by all parties, including the army.
Counsel to the #EndSARS victims, Adeshina Ogunlana, informed the panel that lawyers to all the parties present had agreed to watch the video from 5pm to 7:30pm of that day.
After they had finished viewing the footage, General Taiwo cross-examined by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika.
