The UK-based forensic and ballistic company, hired by the Lagos State government to investigate the shooting incident at the Lekki Tollgate, has said no that live military-grade bullet were fired at protesters on the night of October 20, 2020.
The company’s Executive Director, Dieye Willie-Harry, gave the report on Tuesday, September 28, via zoom during the proceedings of the Lagos State Judicial Restitution for Victims of #EndSARS Related Abuses and Other Matters Panel investigating police brutality.
He said: “We have not viewed any footage, which definitively shows a muzzle aimed towards any individual and at the same time being fired with the effect thereof, but what we can freely assess was that no live bullet was fired.”
“However, given the injuries sustained from 21:00 hours and further, we believe that live and military-grade ammunition were fired at some point by persons yet-to-be-identified.”
He said by the time the team of experts arrived in Lagos in December last year, “the medical treatment of victims had reached an advanced stage, injuries had healed and victims had been discharged from healthcare centres”.
Justice Doris Okuwobi (rtd), who adjourned the proceedings at 6:15 p.m., said the panel would retire to consider its ruling and communicate to parties later when the ruling is ready for delivery.