Lagos panel receives autopsy reports of 99 persons killed during #EndSARS protests

The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry has received the autopsy reports of 99 persons killed during the #EndSARS protests in the state on Saturday, June 19, 2021.

The Chief pathologist at the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), John Obafunwa submitted the reports to the panel eight months after Nigerian soldiers shot at peaceful protesters at Lekki tollgate in October 2020.

Earlier in June, Obafunwa had told the panel that during the crisis that followed the Lekki shooting incident, 99 bodies were received for autopsy between October 20 and 24.

Out of the 99 bodies, he said only three were recovered from Lekki, while 96 were brought to the morgue from different parts of the state.

ENDSARS protesters in Lagos on Thursday, October 9, 2020. (Sahara Reporters) Pulse Nigeria

Obafunwa who did not disclose the details of the autopsies was then asked to submit the records of all the 99 cases recorded during the crisis.

While presenting the records to the panel on Saturday, the pathologist said it is ethical to do an x-ray “before you put a knife to a body, ” especially during a ‘mass disaster’ or “a situation where all sorts of speculations arise”.

He said, “You need to look for hidden fractures or prosthesis. It will help if such is discovered because it will be circumstantial evidence to make you say that this body belongs to this person.

“We need to avoid sensationalism. If you look at a page in the report I submitted, all I did was to summarise. However, if I do an autopsy and I do not do radiography, you would tear me to pieces if I come to court with such a record. That is why I had to do everything, leaving nothing to chance.”

The chair of the panel, Doris Okuwobi, ruled that the records presented by Obafunwa be accepted as evidence and adjourned further hearing till June 26.