Lekki shootings: Witness reveals Lt.-Col. Bello, Brig.-Gen. Omata’s roles

A military witness, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island has revealed the roles Lt.- Col. S.O Bello and Brig.- Gen. F. O Omata played at the Oct. 20 shootings at the Lekki Tollgate, Lagos.

Taiwo made the revelation while being cross-examined before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters on Saturday.

Taiwo said that Bello was the Commanding Officer of the 65 Batallion which was at the Lekki Tollgate on the evening of Oct. 20, while Omata was present at the scene with him.

He said that Bello who was the Commander on the ground had given the order for the soldiers to shoot in the air.

While answering questions from Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), the counsel for some #EndSARS protesters, the army General said that he was not aware that Omata had allegedly arrived at the scene to stop the shootings.

“He did not come later to stop the shooting in the air. He was there after the shooting in the air, he was there to employ non-kinetic (non-violent) means,” he said.

While being cross-examined by Mr Adeshina Ogunlana, another lawyer for the #EndSARS protesters, Taiwo also threw more light on the roles of the senior officers at the tollgate.

“Bello had arrived the scene first before General Omata. The whole 81 Division Garrison had been given the mandate to secure the whole Eti-Osa corridor.

“Omata had left Obalende to meet up with Bello and patrol the whole area,” he said.

Taiwo said that he had contacted Bello when he was seeing conflicting reports about the shootings at the Tollgate on social media, the internet and other sources.