#EndSARS: Petitioner demands ₦200m Compensation

A petitioner, Lucky Philemon who testified today before the Lagos State judicial panel has asked to be paid compensated with the sum of ₦200m as damages for the inconvenience of losing his limbs at the Lekki toll gate protest of Oct 20, 2020.

Philemon who says he was shot on the night of October 20 is also demanding ₦1.5m for psychological evaluation, ₦5m for the cost of subsequent medical care and $50,000 for Prosthetic limbs.

The petitioner was led in evidence by his lawyer, Oluwole Bamgbala.

In his testimony said, “On the 20th October 2020, I was at Lekki tollgate with others, when the military came at around 6-7 pm and started shooting.

“We all sat on the ground; they shot me on my left leg. I slumped, when I woke up, I saw myself in the midst of dead protesters, somebody now said this one is still alive because I raised my hand.

“Then I was rescued and taken to Reddington Hospital Lekki. I was taken to the theatre where the doctor said they have to amputate my leg,” he said.

Philemon, who claimed he spent 32 days at the hospital tendered in evidence photographs showing his physical state before and after the amputation of his leg.

He asked the panel to pay him the compensation to enable him to rebuild his life around the sad new reality foisted on him by government agents at the Lekki toll gate on the 20th of Oct.

Under cross-examination, the counsel to the Lagos State government, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) however pointed out some inconsistencies in his testimony.

“The petitioner has a discrepancy about his state of origin, he is from Plateau state and not Kaduna state as stated in his petition.

“Philemon who also stated that he had worked for a construction company for three days before the incident could not produce his identity card.

“He also admitted that he was still at the Lekki tollgate plaza till about 8 pm but the counsel says, “from videos in circulation, the vicinity of the Lekki tollgate had been evacuated at about 8 pm,” Owonikoko said..

Contrary to the claims that he was shot at about 6-7 pm when the military came to the toll gate, the counsel said medical records show that the petitioner was brought to Reddington Hospital at 11:30 pm and he was said to have stated on arrival at the hospital that he was shot 30 minutes before his arrival.

The cross-examination was stalled when the panel realised that the medical records of the petitioner was not in evidence before the panel.

Chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi, thereafter adjourned all cases involving victims who got treatments at various hospitals to a date to be communicated to their counsel. The panel did this so it could access the medical records from Reddington and other Hospitals.

Justice Okuwobi held that, “Reddington and other Hospitals will be contacted and their medical records subpoenaed, due to this all cases connected to the hospitals will be adjourned to another day to be communicated to parties.”