Lekki Shooting: We had mass casualty to deal with, Doctor says at Lagos Panel

Reddington Hospital on Saturday submitted more medical records of the patients it treated after the Lekki toll gate shooting to the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of SARS and other related matters.

Men of the Nigerian army shot at protesters occupying the toll gate on October 20, although the military has denied culpability.

The army has repeatedly failed to appear before the panel.

The counsel to the panel, Jonathan Ogunsanya said the panel now has in its possession a total of 25 case notes.

These are more detailed and will help give clarity to cases of petitioners before the panel.

A trauma and orthopaedic surgeon with Reddington hospital, Dr. Babajide Lawson who brought the medical records, said that the hospital dealt with mass casualties on October 20.

According to the doctor, the hospital was more concerned with saving lives and so did not prioritise the time patients arrived at its facility.

One of the patients treated at Reddington, Lucky Philemon, testified on Saturday.

Philemon, who now walks with the aid of crutches, had testified on February 27 that he was shot by the army at the toll gate on October 20, but the absence of his medical records before the panel had stalled proceedings.

Philemon is demanding to be paid compensation of N200m as damages for the inconvenience of losing his limbs as well as another $50,000 for Prosthetic limbs.

On Saturday, his counsel, John Uthman demonstrated to the panel that his client arrived at the hospital for treatment at about 9pm contrary to the insinuations by the counsel to the Lagos State Government that he presented himself for treatment at 11.30pm and could not have been shot at the Lekki toll gate.

The complete medical records of the petitioner showed that he received medical treatment at about 9pm and later at about 11.30pm.

A second witness Richard Oku who testified for the petitioner, Lucky Philemon also told the panel that at 6.45pm on October 20, the army arrived at the Lekki Toll Gate and started shooting.

The witness narrated how he helped the petitioner after he was shot.

“I heard on radio that a protest was going on at the Lekki toll gate and I decided to go there around 4pm,” Oku said. “At 6.45pm or so, we saw the army people arrive and started shooting. DJ Switch was on stage telling people to be calm and sit down. Some sat down, others could not bear it and started running.

“I also found a way to leave. I saw one man beside me shot. I saw another try to get up, his leg had been shot, he could not make it and other people were marching on him and others as they were running. I stopped one man and we helped him to the side of the toll so that people will not step on him. I picked his phone and left him.

“I found my way to Lekki gate and I saw private cars stopping there. I approached them to help. I went back to the toll and helped an elderly woman and a young man to the hospital with the car that agreed to help.

“We went to an hospital in Ajah, Doreen Hospital. They were treated then. it was later that the petitioner’s brother called his phone which i had picked and that’s how I came to know his name and to also testify in his case.”

The panel has adjourned to March 27 for the petitioner and Reddington Hospital to continue its testimony.   (Channels TV)