#EndSARS panel: Bullets fired at Lekki Toll Gate were from Nigerian Army – Forensic expert

A forensics company, Sentinel Forensic Limited, has testified before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution set up to unravel details of the shooting that took place at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, during the #EndSARS protest.

Addressing the panel, the company’s representative, Joseph Kayode Funsho, said the Cartridge Casing obtained from the Lekki Toll Gate are of the same calibre as the Nigerian Army’s Live Ammunition.

“The live ammunition presented by the Nigerian Army is of the same calibre as the cartridge casing submitted by the judicial panel,” Funsho said.

He, however, said the blanks submitted by the panel, didn’t match the records from the Nigerian Army’s inventory.

“While the blank ammunition submitted by the Nigerian Army is not of the same calibre as the cartridge casings submitted by the Judicial Panel.

“The blank ammunition submitted by the Nigerian Army is not designed to be fired by rifles chambered to 7.62 x 39mm.”

The case was, thereafter, adjourned to Saturday, September 11, for further hearing.

In November 2020, Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Brigadier Ahmed Taiwo, who appeared before the Judicial Panel insisted that only blank bullets containing gunpowder were fired at the Lekki Tollgate on October 20.

He also insisted that the military only fired into the air and not directly at the #EndSARS protesters.

While explaining that the blank bullets used, cannot cause any damage to the flesh, Brigadier Taiwo said if real bullets were indeed fired, one bullet had the potency to kill three persons at one shot.

The army had initially described reports of its involvement in the shooting as fake news before admitting to being present at the scene.

Viral reports online had insinuated that not only were they present, but they shot at, and killed several persons and allegedly hid the bodies.

But both the army and the state government have faulted the reports, insisting that only two persons had been confirmed dead from the incident.

“Two dead bodies. That is what we have seen from all the morgues, that is what we have going to hospitals, that is what we have seen as records,” governor Sanwo-Olu had said in an interview. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Channels TV)