A forensic company, Sentinel Forensic Limited, has confirmed that bullets expelled from firearms during the #EndSARS protest at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, match that of the Nigerian Army.
The company’s representative, Joseph Kayode Funsho, disclosed on Friday while testifying before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution set up to unravel details of the shooting.
According to Funsho, the live bullets were discovered to have been the same calibre as the Nigerian Army’s Live Ammunition.
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“The live ammunition presented by the Nigerian Army is of the same calibre as the cartridge casing submitted by the judicial panel,” he said.
Funsho, however, said the blanks submitted by the panel, didn’t match the records from the Nigerian Army’s inventory.
“While the blank ammunition submitted by the Nigerian Army is not of the same calibre as the cartridge casings submitted by the Judicial Panel.
“The blank ammunition submitted by the Nigerian Army is not designed to be fired by rifles chambered to 7.62 x 39mm,” he added.
The case was, thereafter, adjourned to Saturday, September 11, for further hearing.
Recall that in November 2020, Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Brig. Ahmed Taiwo, appeared before the panel, insisting that only blank bullets containing gunpowder were fired at the Lekki Tollgate on October 20.
Taiwo also insisted that the military only fired into the air and not directly at the #EndSARS protesters.
He then explained that the blank bullets used were not capable of causing any damage to the flesh, adding that if real bullets were indeed fired, one bullet had the potency to kill three persons at one shot.
The army had initially described reports of its involvement in the shooting as fake news before admitting to being present at the scene.
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