EndSARS Massacre: SERAP to sue Buhari, demands prosecution of officers who shot protesters

 

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has threatened to institute legal action against President Muhammadu Buhari government.

SERAP said it is suing Buhari to compel the arrest of soldiers and police officers involved in shooting EndSARS protesters at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State. 

In a series of tweets, the body urged the Buhari government to compel payment of reparation to victims.

Disclosing that it would file the suit on Wednesday, SERAP said the EndSARS Panel report would serve as part of its evidence.

According to SERAP: “BREAKING: We’re suing the Buhari administration to compel it to immediately arrest the soldiers and police responsible for the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at Lekki-Toll Gate and pay reparations to victims.

“We’re filing the suit first thing tomorrow morning; so please indicate your interest

“We’re also following up with our petition dated 21 October 2020 to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court by forwarding today a copy of the report of Lagos #EndSARS Panel as additional information and evidence.”

In June 2020, soldiers and police officers had shot some EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State.

Meanwhile, the judicial panel set up by the Lagos government to probe cases of police brutality — including the Lekki shooting — says nine #EndSARS protesters were killed.

The panel also said the killing of unarmed protesters at the tollgate could be described in the context of a “massacre”.“It was alleged and corroborated that the soldiers had their vans parked at the Lekki Toll Gate and removed as many bodies and corpses of the fallen,” the report reads.

“One of the protesters who was shot and taken for dead, Olalekan Sanusi, who eventually escaped to narrate his ordeal and experience stated that 11 corpses were in the van where he was placed in and presumed dead“Miss Dabira Ayuku also corroborated the above by stating that she saw about 7 dead bodies placed in one of the military trucks at the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of 20th October, 2020.

“It was alleged and corroborated that soldiers picked bullet shells on the night of October 20 and policemen followed up in the morning of October 21 to pick bullet shells.

“Several unidentified bodies were removed by security agencies and LASEHMU (Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit) and deposited at various hospital mortuaries in Lagos state.

“Three (3) trucks with brushes underneath were brought to the Lekki Toll Gate in the morning of October 21st October, 2020 to clean up the scene of bloodstains and other evidence.

“There was abundant evidence before the panel that the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) indicated in its Twitter handle that it had effectively cleaned up the Lekki Toll Gate scene immediately after the incident of October 20, 2020.

“The denial of ambulances by the soldiers, which could have assisted in the prompt and effective treatment of injured protesters, was cruel and inhuman and it contributed immensely to the large number of deaths and casualties on the part of the protesters, especially those from the Lekki Toll Gate.

“The panel finds the cases of death or injured protesters as credible and

uncontroverted.”