THE NIGERIAN EYE

There was a mild drama at the sitting of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) abuse and other matters yesterday as three Lekki protesters, identified as Victoria Oniru, Dabira Ayuku, and Perpetual Kamsiyuchukwu were presented by their legal counsel, Adesina Ogunlana. Ogunlana prayed the panel to allow him cross-examine the Managing Director of Lekki Concession Company (LCC), Mr Abayomi Omomuwasan, who had last Friday testified. However, before they were presented before the panel, a lawyer to the Lagos state government, I. J Okechukwu, opposed the presentation of #EndSARS protesters, arguing that #EndSARS is not a legal entity and it is faceless. Okechukwu said: “There is no entity called “EndSARS protesters. My learned friend is entitled to represent anybody that is known to law. We cannot have anybody appearing for a body that is not known to law, no leader, no structure. EndSARS protesters is a nebulous entity.”   Counsel to

The Nigerian Army has finally broken its silence on the Lekki Tollgate imbroglio in Lagos, exonerating its soldiers from shooting at the  #EndSARS protesters last Tuesday. The army described the allegation of killing of protesters by soldiers as unfounded, attributing it to the handiwork of mischief-makers. It would be recalled that the protest took a violent twist after soldiers reportedly stormed the toll plaza, turned off the light and allegedly fired sporadically at peaceful protesters. However, the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Victoria Island, Lagos, where the soldiers were deployed from, declared that its operatives never opened fire on the protesters. In a statement by the Acting Deputy Director, 81 Division Army Public Relations, Major Osoba Olaniyi, the Division explained that the intervention of the soldiers was on the request of the Lagos State Government. “The attention of Headquarters 81 Division of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a viral video on soci

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, on Tuesday said that 520 suspects had been arrested for various offences ranging from arson, robbery, murder, to unlawful possession of firearms during the #EndSARS protests. Among the arrested are two male suspects: Ebere Ruben, 29, and Samuel Oyediran, 16, who were arrested for their alleged involvements in burning the BRT terminal at Berger and TVC Station in Lagos State. Odumosu told newsmen at the Command’s Headquarters, Ikeja, that the suspects were arrested in relation to crimes committed as a result of breakdown of law and order resulting from the #EndSARS protests. "The protests which started peacefully turned violent on Monday, October 12, when some criminally-minded hoodlums at the Surulere protest venue cashed-in on the precarious situation. "They proceeded to attack the Anti-Kidnapping Unit's Office of the Command located at Iyun Road, Western Avenue, Surulere, with premeditated intention

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, has proposed that revenue from the Lekki Toll Gate be donated to confirmed victims of the shooting that occurred during the #EndSARS protest. According to him, other identifiable victims of police brutality in the state should also benefit from the proceeds. Tinubu in a statement on Sunday also absolved himself from allegations of ordering the deployment of soldiers against peaceful protesters at Lekki toll plaza on Oct.20, 2020. “I propose to government that the tollgate be left closed for an indefinite period. “If it is reopened, revenues should be donated to the confirmed victims of the Lekki attack as well as to other identifiable victims of police brutality in Lagos. “Let government use the money to compensate and take care of those who have lost life or limb in the struggle for all citizens to go about the quiet, peaceful enjoyment of life without fear of undue harassment at this or that checkpoint.’’ On

In the last few days, thousands of Nigerians have been invading warehouses to loot COVID-19 palliatives kept in the buildings. President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Zahra Buhari-Indimi says the discovery of COVID-19 palliatives in warehouses across the country have shown that her father is not the problem of Nigeria. Zahra said this on her Instagram Stories on Sunday, October 25, 2020. She wrote, “Now that people confirmed that Buhari distributed enough palliatives nationwide, it is clear Buhari is not our problem.” PULSE

Ideh Chukwuma, a Nigerian filmmaker better known as Onesoul, says he did not see any dead body at Lekki toll gate where soldiers shot at unarmed #EndSARS protesters. There have been conflicting reports on the actual casualties after last Tuesday’s shooting of unarmed protesters by men in army uniforms. On Friday, DJ Switch had said at least 15 persons were shot dead on the night while several others sustained injuries of varying degrees. But in an interview with Premium Times, Onesoul expressed reservation about the use of “massacre” to describe what happened at the protest ground. The filmmaker said though soldiers indeed shot at protesters and many were injured in the process, he did not see any dead body when he visited the protest ground. “What I will say is, I have been hearing people say “Lekki massacre, Lekki massacre.” I have to be honest with you if you Google the term “massacre,” massacre is a situation where a group of people were being killed by rebels or the mi