A Lagos state government judicial panel has begun hearings into the tragic shooting of protesters last week and complaints of police brutality in the country's largest city. The hearings are expected to conclude Saturday.
The Judicial Panel of Restitution at the Lagos Court of Arbitration is investigating claims made against police officers and soldiers implicated in a deadly incident at the city's Lekki Toll Gate.
President Muhammadu Buhari said he supported the panel and its goal of finding the truth. However, protesters have repeatedly claimed the government had for years ignored calls to reform its police.
The cause of the daily protests across the nation, which have lasted for close to two weeks, stems from widespread claims of extortion, kidnapping, harassment and murder by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Tensions between activists and authorities escalated early last week, leading to a deadly confrontation.
The first day of the panel Tuesday, saw two complainants only appear to give testimony. Both complainants told of their experiences with the SARS police unit.
The first claimed he was detained by SARS officers for 47 days, in which he was allegedly tortured repeatedly with agents extracting two of his teeth. He claimed his wife and mother were beaten after they tried to help him. Following his arrest, the petitioner accused SARS of confiscating and selling his property and his vehicle.
The tribunal is set to hold additional hearings Friday and Saturday this week. The panel has invited the public to submit their claims of police brutality and for those present at the Lekki Toll Gate shooting to also disclose what they had witnessed.
Earlier reports published by the human rights group Amnesty International said at least 12 protesters were shot dead at Tuesday's incident, followed by an additional 26 people killed in ensuing clashes. The report said that 56 people had been killed since the protests began.
The Nigerian army, which was blamed for the protesters' deaths, said the claims were "fake news." Lagos Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu played down the incident and said soldiers fired warning shots and two people only were hurt.
