An Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) in Lagos, ACP Oludotun Odubona, has told the State Judicial Panel of Inquiry that hospitals that allegedly treated gunshot victims from the Lekki toll gate made no reports to any police station.
Odubona stated this at the resumed sitting of the panel on Tuesday in continuation of his testimony on the investigation of the Lekki shooting incident that occurred on October 20, 2020.
He represented the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Hakeem Odumosu, who was summoned by the panel to help with its investigations into the incident.
“Every hospital must make a report of treating gunshot wounds, no one did,” the police officer said. “There was no such report of anyone coming to the station to report that he was shot or witnessed the shooting of another.”
He also responded to questions from the LCC counsel, Rotimi Seriki, and lawyer to the Lagos State government, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN).
Odubona informed the panel that the police were not deployed to the Lekki tollgate on the day of the shooting, adding that they had no cause to be in the axis.
On the activities of the police to prevent the burning of the Oriental Hotel at Lekki, he said some police officers were stationed at the facility to protect lives and properties around.
When asked whether there was a report by police officers within the jurisdiction warranting the use of live ammunition on the night of October 20, 2020, the police officer said there was no such report.
“The highest level of gladiated force is to make use of live ammunition, and that cannot be done unless there is a superior directive. Even when such directives are given, the police don’t shoot to kill, they shoot to maim,” he stated.
The ACP also testified that so far, the police were still searching for weapons that were stolen from the police armoury during the #EndSARS protest.
While playing video evidence to the panel, the witness pointed to a man carrying a weapon, saying the particular individual carted away a box of ammunition that had a twin container and each contained 1500 rounds of live ammunition.
When asked the number of police rifles and ammunition carried away by hoodlums or allegedly looted, the witness said he could not disclose the number as the police were still updating their list.
On her part, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi, adjourned until September 17 for the police officer to be cross-examined by the lawyers representing some of the #EndSARS protesters who had pleaded to be allowed to review the pictures and video evidence submitted by the witness before putting in their questions.
