The Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for victims of police brutality and other related matters has returned control of the Lekki toll gate plaza to its owners, the Lekki Concession Company (LCC).
Recall that the judicial panel had extended responsibility of investigating the October 2020 Lekki shooting incident by the operatives of the Nigerian Army.
The nod given by the panel for the LCC to repossess the tollgate means that the company would repair the damaged toll plaza and resume the business of toll collection from thousands of motorists who ply the Lekki-Ajah-Epe Expressway, daily.
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During proceedings on Saturday, February 6, the panel chairman, Justice Doris Okuwobi, gave a ruling allowing the LCC to repossess the toll gate.
Okuwobi sitting with four other members of the panel listened to arguments for and against the application made by counsel to the LCC Ltd, Demola Seriki for the re-opening of the facility. This was the fourth application made by the LLC.
The four other members who sat with Justice Okuwobi are Segun Awosanya, Oluwatoyin Odusanya (director, Citizen’s Right), DIG Taiwo Lakanu ( representing the police), and Lucas Koyejo (from the National Human Rights Commission).
In his arguments in support of the application, Seriki asked the panel to allow the company to take possession of the toll gate plaza for the purpose of evaluating the damage done so as to be able to make insurance claims needed to effect the necessary repairs which he said would last about 2 months.
Immediately after the panel ruling in his favour, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa walked in with the other three members of the panel, Patience Udoh (representing civil society), Rinuola Oduola, and Temitope Majekodunmi (representing the youths).
They all proceeded to deliver dissenting decisions to the effect that they were not in support of the repossession and the reopening of the Lekki toll plaza.
Further details shortly as the minority panel members are still individually reading their dissenting judgments.
