A man who claimed he lost his left leg after soldiers shot
him at the Lekki Toll gate on the night of October 20, Saturday sought
₦206.5million as compensation from the Lagos State judicial panel probing the
incident.
The petitioner, Lucky Philemon said the sum comprises ₦200m
as damages for the inconvenience of losing his limbs, ₦1.5million for psychological
evaluation, ₦5million for the cost of subsequent medical care and $50,000 for
Prosthetic limbs.
Led in evidence by his lawyer, Oluwole Bamgbala, Philemon
said: He was at Lekki toll gate with other #EndSARS protesters, when the
military came at about 6 or 7pm and started shooting.
He said he fainted soon after being hit by the bullet and
woke up later in the midst of dead people.
“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 had 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.
But during cross-examination, counsel to the Lagos State
government, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) pointed out some inconsistencies in
Philemon’s testimony.
Owonikoko said: “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 toll gate
plaza till about 8pm but from videos in circulation, the vicinity of the Lekki
tollgate had been evacuated at about 8pm.
Contrary to the claims that he was shot at about 6-7 pm when
the military came to the toll gate, Owonikoko noted that medical records showed
that the petitioner was brought to Reddington Hospital at 11:30pm 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: “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.”
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