End SARS: Panel rejects LCC’s request to take back possession of Lekki tollgate

The Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged shootings of End SARS protesters by soldiers on October 20, 2020 at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos, has rejected the request by its operators, Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to “take back possession” of the tollgate.

The Chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi, ruled that the tollgate plaza would remain closed.

Okuwobi stated that the panel might have to inspect the tollgate plaza again, after watching footage from a surveillance camera LCC submitted on Tuesday. 

LCC’s counsel, Rotimi Seriki, had urged the panel to allow the firm “take possession” of the tollgate plaza, in order to evaluate the level of damage for the purpose of insurance claims.

Seriki was reinforcing a request earlier made by the LCC Managing Director, Abayomi Omomuwa.

Omomuwa has claimed it would take LCC not less than six months to fix the tollgate plaza.

Seriki said, “My humble request is that if the tribunal doesn’t have further need to visit the plaza, the LCC should be permitted to take back possession of the toll plaza for the purpose of evaluation of the damage and commence the process of carrying out necessary repairs.”

But Justice Okuwobi said the panel admitted it was necessary for LCC to go and evaluate the level of damage “but we will not grant that access yet. The need may arise for the panel to revisit.”