The Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution set up by the Lagos State Government to investigate police brutality and high-handedness by some officials of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) resumed sitting on friday.
First on the list of cases to be called was the case of the Lekki shooting which occurred on October 20.
A mild drama ensued when lawyer, Adesina Ogunlana had earlier presented himself as the legal representative of the #EndSARS protesters.
At first, his appearance was objected to, by the opposing counsel, I. J Okechukwu,on the grounds that the #EndSARS protesters were not recognised by law.
“There is no entity called “EndSARS protesters”.
“My learned friend is entitled to represent anybody that is known to law. We cannot have anybody appearing for a body that is not known to law, no leader, no structure.
” EndSARS protesters is a nebulous entity,” said Okechukwu
Rotimi Seriki, counsel for the Lekki Concession Company, (LCC), aligned with the government lawyer. He also said the LCC was not an “interested party” in the matter, but invited because “the panel that feels it might have relevant evidence to assist it”.
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“We cannot allow every Tom, Dick, and Harry to represent,” he concluded.
Ogunlana retorted that he did not just appear at the panel without prior instruction of his clients.
He went on to call out three persons, whom he said were part of protesters and had hired him to represent them.
They are Victoria Oniru, Dabira Ayuku, and Perpetual Kamsiyuchukwu.
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Justice Doris Okuwobi then ruled that Mr Ogunlana could represent the protesters as they have been represented by persons.
The panel, thereafter, proceeded to watch the footage from the day of the shooting. The footage started from 12:00 am on October 20.
