#EndSARS: Many #LekkiMassacre victims were brought to our facilities: Reddington Hospital

Babajide Lawson, a physician with Reddington Hospital has confirmed to the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry on police brutality that victims of the Lekki shooting of October 20, 2020, with gunshot wounds were treated at the hospital’s facilities.

Mr. Lawson’s testimony countered the military who claimed that no live rounds were fired by the Nigerian army on #EndSARS protesters at Lekki tollgate. The medical doctor who appeared before the Judicial panel on Saturday revealed that the hospital was overwhelmed with ‘mass casualty’ from the Lekki shootings. Mr. Lawson, a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, stated that victims of the incident were brought into the hospital from 20th to 22nd of October. The doctor’s revelation came as he was being grilled by Olumide Fusika and Adesina Ogunlana, the lawyers representing victims of the shooting. 

When asked by the lawyers to go through the medical reports of the victims of the Lekki shootings to confirm if he knew them, Mr. Lawson revealed that he personally handled the treatment of some victims with gunshot wounds. 

“Yes, it’s our medical report. I don’t know them personally but I know them as patients that I treated,” he said. “Being in charge of trauma, it means that anybody that is involved in traumatic injuries such as accidents and gunshots must go through me in both of our locations. 

“On that 20th, a lot of the patients were treated at the Lekki office. 

Later on the night of 20th, I also went to the Lekki office to assess the level of assistance needed in my capacity and I also spoke with the MD of that branch. 

That night, I transferred a patient to the VI office which is our headquarters where I work from and where he stayed till the 23rd,” Mr. Lawson further revealed. 

“On the first night, there are about six patients that I saw at that night, but as the day goes by, other patients trickled in,” he added. 

Mr. Lawson also named the victims of the Lekki shootings which he personally treated to include Ajogwu Japheth, Philemon Lucky, Samuel Oshola, Nnaji Madem, Bright Osariemen, Damilola Adedayo and Joshua Samuel. 

The #EndSARS protest which was embarked upon by Nigerian youths to protest against police brutality took a new twist after men of the Nigerian army opened fire on peaceful protesters. 

The army who initially denied being at the scene of the Lekki shootings later came out to admit that they were at the scene of the shooting but did not open fire on the peaceful protesters.