A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered Labour Party (LP) and its supporters not to converge at the Lekki Toll Gate in furtherance of its planned #Obidatti23 Rally scheduled for Oct. 1.

Justice Daniel Osiagor made the order following an application brought by 10 persons seeking, among others things, to restrain the party, its Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi; Obi’s running mate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed; and their loyalists from holding the rally.

The plaintiffs include Adedotun Ajulo, Salamatu Lewi, Hakeem Ijaduola, Ogunbona Akinpelu and Owolabi Oluwasegun.

The others are Mogbojuri Kayode, Wuyep Nadom, Dimimu Mabel, Kolawole Salami and Wale Lawrence.

The defendants in the suit include LP, Obi, Baba-Ahmed, Inspector-General of Police (I-G) and Lagos State commissioner of police.

The others are director-general of the Department of State Services, Lekki Concession Company Ltd., attorney-general of Lagos State and Lagos State governor.

Osiagor, however, held that the while the rally participants should not converge at the Lekki Toll Gate, they can pass through it to access Falomo Bridge and other venues at which they planned to meet.

The court directed the I-G and Lagos State commissioner of police to ensure compliance with the order.

Meanwhile, a preliminary objection filed by the defendants, seeking to stop the court from hearing the suit, on grounds of incompetence, could not be heard.

This is because all the parties in the suit were not served the relevant court processes.

The court will hear the substantive suit on Nov. 4.

In the suit, the plaintiffs averred, among others things, that a repeat or celebration of the “infamous” EndSARS protest of 2020 under the political guise of “#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally” would cause a breakdown of peace and result in post-traumatic stress disorder for them and members of the public.

They are asking the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the first to fourth defendants and their loyalists from conducting the rally tagged `#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally on Oct. 1 or any subsequent date, at the Lekki Toll Gate, until determination of the suit.

They are also seeking an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants and their loyalists from further planning and promoting the scheduled rally.

The plaintiffs also seek an order of interim injunction restraining the fifth to seventh defendants from allowing the first to fourth defendants, or their agents from carrying out the rally on Oct. 1 or any other date.

They equally seek an order restraining the first to fourth defendants from making use of Lekki Toll Gate or any space under and within the control of the eighth defendant for carrying out the rally on Oct. 1 or any subsequent date.

There is no end yet to the controversy greeting the ENDSARS Panel report and attendant White Paper as a member of the panel, Ebun Adegboruwa, has said that he and his colleagues will expose all ‘inaccuracies’ in the paper.

Lagos has rejected and heavily criticised the panel’s claim that nine people were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate during the protest.

It has also accused the panel of mismanaging funds made available to it.

Adegboruwa, on Wednesday, debunked the claims, saying the panel too was ready to talk.

In a statement titled ‘#EndSARS Panel Report: The Siege Is Over,’ Adegboruwa said, “Since November 15, 2021, when the Reports of the #EndSARS Judicial Panel were submitted to the Lagos State Government, a good number of my colleagues, friends and admirers prevailed on me to refrain from further public pronouncements on the activities and reports of the Panel since the government was studying the said reports.

“Upon the submission of the said reports, lawyers on the payroll of the government and other employees of the government, took turns to denigrate the reports, on national television, in paid adverts in newspapers and on the social media.

“Ministers in the Cabinet of the Federal Government have also commented on the said reports, in some cases calling members of the Panel unprintable names and even comparing victims of brutality and human rights abuses to goats and taunting their already traumatized families and friends.

“On November 30, 2021, the government released two separate White Papers, to the general public. The Panel was not informed of this action and it was not availed copies of the said White Papers, till this moment.

“The Committee that reviewed the Reports of the Panel and which produced the White Papers was headed by the Honourable Attorney-General of Lagos State.

“On December 1, 2021, the Honourable Attorney-General of Lagos State was a guest on Arise Television, where he took time to discuss the Reports of the Panel and the contents of the White Papers that his Committee produced. The impression was also created that the Panel mismanaged funds released to it.

ALSO READ: ENDSARS panel report white paper: Why Lagos rejected claim that 9 people were killed at Lekki Toll Gate

“It has become necessary therefore for me and all other Members of the Panel to study the White Papers and make appropriate responses thereto. There will be no holds barred, since the government itself has opened the doors for public scrutiny of the report and the White Papers.

“For the records, the Panel relied upon the evidence of witnesses, documents tendered before it and the goodwill of the people of Nigeria, throughout its assignment.

“It is painful for me and the Panel that the government is creating the wrong impression of financial impropriety as a tool of distraction when the Panel had a Secretariat that managed all its funds, through the Ministry of Justice.

“Although I served on the Panel free of charge without collecting a dime, I know as a fact that other members served sacrificially, giving up their time, families and careers for a whole year.

“At the appropriate time, we will respond to all the inaccuracies, the coverups and the inconsistencies contained in the White Papers released by the government.

“Assuredly, nothing can ever cover the truth. What happened at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, was already in the public domain, those who received the bullets knew what happened and the doctors that treated them knew what happened. The Panel reports only confirmed what most Nigerians already knew.”

A military witness, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, has revealed the roles played by Lt.- Col. S.O. Bello and Brig.-Gen. F.O. Omata at the Oct. 20 shootings at the Lekki Tollgate, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Taiwo made the revelation while being cross-examined at the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters on Saturday.

Taiwo said that Bello was the Commanding Officer of the 65 Batallion which was at the Lekki Tollgate on the evening of Oct. 20, and that Omata was present at the scene with him.

He said that Bello who was the Commander on ground had given the order for the soldiers to shoot in the air.

While answering questions from Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), the counsel for some #EndSARS protesters, the army General said that he was not aware that Omata had allegedly arrived the scene to stop the shootings.

“He was there after the shooting in the air, he was there to employ non-kinetic (non-violent) means,” he said.

While being cross-examined by Mr Adeshina Ogunlana, another lawyer for the #EndSARS protesters, Taiwo also threw more light on the roles of the senior officers at the tollgate.

“Bello had arrived the scene first before Omata, as the whole 81 Division Garrison had been given the mandate to secure the whole Eti-Osa corridor.

“Omata had left Obalende to meet up with Bello and patrol the whole area,” he said.

Taiwo said that he had contacted Bello when he was seeing conflicting reports about the shootings at the Tollgate on social media, the internet and other sources.

He said: “On the internet, we were seeing videos being streamed of shooting and of people screaming that they are killing us and videos to that effect.

“When the initial first report came, I dismissed it with a wave of the hand because to me nobody sent anybody to the tollgate, I knew that people were to be dispersed along the Eti-Osa corridor.

“When I called Bello he said that while they were being deployed, they were attacked by hoodlums and they released some shots into the air.

“I also asked him if anybody had died as it is being reported over the internet and he replied ‘negative’ that nobody had died that he had only seen two people who had fainted and were revived,” he said.

The army witness also said that he spoke to Omata at about 7.35pm through Bello’s mobile phone.

“I had called three times and after speaking to Bello, I spoke to General Omata using Bello’s phone. It was one of those instances that when I called Bello he said Omata was with him.

“I spoke to Omata and asked if deaths were recorded and he told me no. I called him twice and he said no, that the place has been cleared.

“The place was cleared at about 8.45pm and they said they were going back to their respective units. Later in the day, they went out again at about 11pm,” he said.

Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, told the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Lekki Tollgate incident that the army went to the tollgate with both blank and live ammunitions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Taiwo made the revelation while being cross-examined by lawyers to the #EndSARS protesters, Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) and Mr Adeshina Ogunlana.

Under cross-examination by Olumide-Fusika, Taiwo said that the there were men and materials from the Army at the Lekki Tollgate in the evening of Oct. 20.

“We had men and materials – vehicles and rifles for shooting. A portion of the force were carrying live bullets in case they are attacked.

“Another portion will carry magazines charged with blank ammunition,” he said.

While being cross-examined by Ogunlana, Taiwo said that that the military acted within the Army’s Rules of Engagement in keeping up with professionalism.

“The soldiers will be using both live and blank bullets and in this particular case, we saw that this protest had been infiltrated by hoodlums.

“We had peaceful protesters no doubt, but there were hoodlums who sought to take advantage of the protest,” he said.

The army General told the panel that the army was not deployed to the Lekki Tollgate, but were on patrol to clear up the Lekki, Eti-Osa corridor.

He said that the soldiers on patrol were, however, attacked by hoodlums around the area of the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, injuring a soldier.

He noted that the army did not engage in any form of dialogue or negotiations with the #EndSARS protesters at the tollgate because they were attacked by hoodlums.

“They were pelted just before Oriental Hotel, their response was to fire blank ammunition. They (soldiers) were stoned just as they dismounted.

“By the time they fired a few shots in the air, the hoodlums hightailed it. Our mission was not to clear the protest, we were just on our way to ensure normalcy on the Eti-Osa corridor.

“One officer was wounded, he was stoned on the lips. If we are attacked with stones, the only option is gunshot,” the army General said.

The Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry for Restitution for Victims of SARS related abuses and the Lekki Tollgate Incident, has urged victims of the Oct. 20 shooting of #EndSARS protesters by members of the Nigerian Army to come forward with their petitions.

The body made the call on Monday in Lagos during its sitting.

The chairperson of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd) said that the judicial panel had so far received 15 petitions from abuse victims of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Okuwobi said that the panel is independent of the Lagos State Government and will ensure that individuals with valid complaints of human rights violations will receive immediate compensation.

“If their cases are disposed of in a month or two, compensation if recommended should go to the victims immediately to assuage their pain.

“We are looking forward to memoranda from those affected by the unfortunate incident of the shooting at the Lekki Tollgate plaza by the military.

“The panel has received not less than 15 petitions relating to the disbanded SARS.

“We are indeed ready to commence the public sitting. The petitions are here without the petitioners around, the panel will start full proceedings tomorrow (Oct. 27).

“We are relying on the civil society to assist the panel with credible evidence of the killings at the Lekki Tollgate Plaza.

“This is to ensure that there will be good evidence to assist the panel make appropriate recommendations in respect of all terms of reference of the panel,” she said.

Okuwobi said the panel could not begin proceedings immediately because the nominations for the two youth representatives who are to sit as part of the eight-man panel was sent in late.

She noted that the two nominated youth representatives had not yet been sworn-in and could not join the panel for Monday’s proceedings.

“The panel will most definitely sit tomorrow (Tuesday) because they would have been sworn-in and the composition will be complete,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr Olumide Akpata, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) who was present at the proceedings said that the NBA will be partnering with the judicial panel and will also be providing pro bono services to affected victims.

“The NBA is here to help victims of the now disbanded SARS and other human rights violations to properly articulate their petitions to this panel pro bono. This will be done in Lagos and around the country.

“The NBA will participate in observatory capacity to ensure that all goes well and ensure that justice is actually served. Our best hands will be available throughout the sittings of the panel.

“We look forward to justice being done and the recommendations of the panel for those who have been badly treated by institutions that have been set up to protect them,” Akpata said.

The panel is made up of the Chairman Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd), Mr Ebun Adegboruwa (SAN), Mr Taiwo Lakanu, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police and a founding member of SARS.

Other panelists are Mrs Oluwatoyin Odusanya, Director, Lagos State Directorate of Citizen’s Rights and Ms Patience Udoh, a representative of the civil society groups and Mr Segun Awosanya (segalink) a human rights activist.

The panel is designated to sit for six months.

The sitting days are Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:am to 4:pm and the venue of proceedings is the Lagos Court of Arbitration, No. 1A, Remi Oluwode Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has called for a quick and thorough investigation into Tuesday incident that led to avoidable casualties at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.

Gbajabiamila expressed grief over the sad event in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Lanre Lasisi, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He described the event of the reported casualties of protesters at the Tollgate as disturbing and not reflective of the nation’s growing democracy.

The speaker said: “Events in my home state Lagos, last night and up until this afternoon have left my heart heavy and my spirit disturbed.

“After 60 years, our democracy should have grown beyond the point where conflicting visions of nationhood result in violence on the streets and blood on the ground.

“It is unavoidably and painfully clear that there were a number of casualties as a result of gunfire at the Lekki Tollgate”.

He said there was need for quick and thorough investigation to determine the facts of what happened on Tuesday in the state.

The speaker said that Nigerians deserve an account of the acts that led to Tuesday events and urged the people to remain calm and law-abiding.

The lawmaker noted that no blood needed to be spilled any more, while calling for calm to get the true picture of events.

“In Lagos and everywhere else, too much blood has already been spilled in our country, let there be no more.

“May God bless and keep you all. And may God bless and keep the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.