Lekki Shooting: Army reveals roles played by two senior officers
Their names featured prominently on social media in the aftermath of the shooting at the Lekki tollgate.
A military witness, Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, has revealed the roles played by two of its men, S.O. Bello and F.O. Omata at the October 20 shootings at the Lekki Tollgate, Lagos.
Mr Bello is a lieutenant colonel while Mr Omata is a brigadier general. Their names featured prominently on social media in the aftermath of the shooting at the Lekki tollgate
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr 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.
Mr Taiwo said Mr Bello is the Commanding Officer of the 65 Batallion which was at the Lekki Tollgate on the evening of October 20, and that Mr Omata “was present at the scene with him”.
He said Mr Bello was “the commander on ground” who gave the order for the soldiers to shoot in the air.
While answering questions from Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), the counsel for some #EndSARS protesters, the army general said he was not aware that Mr Omata 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 Adeshina Ogunlana, another lawyer for the #EndSARS protesters, Mr 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.
Nigerian army admits to having live rounds at Lekki Toll Gate protests, despite previous denials
(CNN)The Nigerian army admitted on Saturday that soldiers were given both live and blank bullets when they were deployed to protests at Lekki toll gate on October 20. The admission seems to confirm a key finding of a CNN investigation into the shooting.
