The Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters sitting in Lagos today Saturday 11th September 2021 again expressed disgust and disapproval against inaccurate reporting and sensationalism of panel proceedings with the intention to mislead and incite by a section of the media just as it appealed for support and cooperation in reporting accurately proceedings at the panel.
The panel disappointment was expressed by the chairman Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd) in reaction to the complaint and reservation of the managing director of Sentinel Forensics limited, the forensic firm engaged by the panel to conduct a forensic audit of the Lekki tollgate plaza as a result of the 20th October 2020 incident, who noted that the media reportage of his presentation at the panel yesterday has been twisted to suit certain narrative and is not in alignment with his presentation and testimony.
Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd) noted that it has become the habit of a section of the media to misinform and sensationalize the panel proceedings anytime an expert is invited to help shed light on grey areas in the discharge of it’s assignment and therefore counselled the media to be responsible and responsive in reporting accurately what happened at the panel rather than twisting and misinforming the public.
The chairman of Sentinel Forensics limited Mr. Funso Ako was cross examined by all the counsels and he made it clear in his testimony that his team were denied access to the server of the Lekki tollgate plaza by the owner Lekki Concession Company (LCC) which claimed that where the server is warehoused at tollgate plaza Ikoyi link bridge TP 3 has been burnt and when his team went to inspect the location, actually the place appeared burnt.
On if the Nigeria Army fired bullets at the Lekki tollgate plaza on the 20th of October 2020, the MD of Sentinel Forensics limited stated that based on the viewing of the CCTV footage obliged to the team, they observed muzzle flashes from rifles by men in military gear which was majorly fired into the air and at times at the protesters, but on physical examination of the scene of the incident, there was no evidence of the discharge of high velocity projectile anywhere in the vicinity.
Mr. Funso Ako stated that his team work had been limited by certain limitations which compromised the integrity of the incident scene from the date of occurrence on the 20th October 2020 and 29th December 2020, when it was engaged to carry out forensic analysis of the incident scene and review materials supplied to it for forensic examination.
The forensic expert further made it clear that his team worked within the scope of the terms of reference of it’s engagement and that it work could have been aided if it’s contact with hospitals which treated gun shot victims had availed it of retrieved bullets from those treated for comparison with bullets supplied by the Nigeria Army and retrieved from the scene by the panel. He also complained that the cleaning of the incident scene by LAWMA as claimed on it’s Tweeter handle might have also compromised the incident scene because when his team visited the scene to carry out it’s forensic audit, no piece of item was recovered.
Mr. Funso Ako again restated that the bullets supplied by the Nigeria Army and the casing shells recovered and presented to it by the panel, were of the same class, but based on this is not enough to conclude that the bullets were fired by the Army, that further process has to be carried out to ascertain that.
The Managing Director of Sentinel Forensics limited stated that it’s terms of reference was to do a physical examination of the scene of the incident and a forensic analysis of the CCTV footage submitted to it by the panel and that it abided solely to it in reaction to a question whether it visited hospitals where the alledged incident victims were treated to gather facts. The MD said it’s scope of reference does not cover visits to hospitals, but that it put up a call to the hospitals and asked them to avail his team evidence of bullets extracted from alledged victims to aid it’s work, but none responded.
At the conclusion of proceedings, the managing director of Sentinel Forensics limited was discharged from further appearance at the panel.
The panel also conducted hearings into two other cases and adjourned adjudication on them to a later date.
The panel sitting continues.
