THE report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Related Abuses and other matters and October 20, 2020 Lekki Toll Gate Shootings accused the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) of massive coverup.
LCC manages and operates the Lekki toll gate and the report said the company played a part in the alleged massacre on October 20, 2020.
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The panel accused the company of removing and tampering with cameras that would have aided investigations from the incident scene.
According to the report, “The LCC was obviously in charge of the operation and custody of the CCTV cameras and indeed all cameras at the Lekki Toll Gate. There is no doubt whatsoever that these cameras would provide real time evidence as to what happened if provided and if they remained untouched.”
The report said some LCC staff removed cameras stationed at the Lekki Toll Gate, adding that the concerned cameras were not tendered before the panel.
“These cameras would have assisted the panel in its investigation into the incident that occurred on the night of October 20, 2020.”
The panel noted that the cameras would have assisted forensic experts in their fact-finding mission and analysis if they had been tendered.
Contrary to the submission of the managing director of LCC that his men were not on the ground, the panel found from the report of the forensic expert that the movement of the camera following a pre-set format most of the time and switching from this mode at other times strongly suggests that it was operated on both automated and manual modes during the time under review.
“Also, the ‘hue change’ from colour to night mode at 18:53:07 hours alludes to conscious manipulation by the operators of the LCC camera as it appears to have occurred at a very crucial moment where the quality of footage of the incident in colour mode might have provided better insights to the events happening at that specific point.”
Controversy has trailed the panel’s final report, especially concerning the claim that there was indeed a massacre at the toll gate on October 20.
Nigerian government and military authorities have long denied reports that people were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance