Lekki Shooting: Again, Nigerian Army ignores Summons at Judicial Panel
Though the panel s lawyer contacted Mr Kehinde notifying him of the proceedings, he still failed to appear.
For the third time since hearing began over the Lekki Shooting incident, the
Nigerian Army has failed to honour the summons issued to its officers by the panel investigating the event.
The army failed to present the officers involved in the shooting.
The Nigerian Army, first on the cause list of the panel for Saturday’s proceedings, did not present any witness.
On January 8, the last adjournment of the proceeding, S. O Bello, the Officer that led the 65 Batallion that went to Lekki Toll Gate, Godwin Umelo, the General Officer (GOC), 81 Division and Francis Omata, a Brigadier General, all failed to appear before the panel.
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The panel, which is set up to probe police brutality and other related matters, had summoned Bello and Godwin Umelo, general officer commanding, 81 division, Victoria Island, Lagos, to explain their roles in the incident that took place at the Lekki tollgate area on October 20, 2020.
At the hearing on Saturday, the two army officers were absent, as their case was scheduled for hearing.
Explaining the outcome on the service of the summons, Ogunsanya said Umelo, who is a military general, was served and accepted the summons on November 30, 2020 around 6:04pm, but that of Bello could not be delivered as nobody agreed to receive it on his behalf.
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A lieutenant colonel of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, S.O Bello, who led the team involved in the October 20 Lekki Shooting incident, has rejected witness summons issued to him by the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry.
Jonathan Ogunsanya, the counsel to the witness, said this on Saturday when the case involving the
Nigerian Armywas called for further hearing on their role at the Lekki Shooting.
Mr Ogunsanya said Mr Bello refused to accept the summons served to him, which was sent through a dispatcher.
Ibrahim Taiwo, the Commander, 81 Division and Head, Military Intelligence Brigade, earlier explained the role played by Mr Bello, a senior officer of the Nigerian Army in the Lekki Shooting incident.