The Managing Director of Lekki Concession Company, LCC, Mr. Abayomi Omomuwasi, yesterday, told the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Related Abuses and Other Matters that its surveillance cameras stopped recording at 8pm on October 20, 2020 due to network issues.
Giving details on how the cameras were stopped on the day of the shooting, the LCC MD said: “We never ever tempered with the surveillance cameras until about 8pm, when it was tampered with and stopped recording. The network was interfered with, which stopped the recording.
According to him, “the cameras that were removed at the Lekki toll gate were number plate recognition cameras. They identify vehicle, vehicle identity and vehicle type.”
He said in the early hours of October 20, when they noticed that the protesters had started vandalising their equipment, they removed the automatic number plate recognition cameras, laptops and other systems.
The LCC MD, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr Rotimi Seriki, submitted footage from the Lekki toll gate but said the video footage did not have audio.
He said “We didn’t activate audio recording, the reason is that it’s used for traffic not security.”
Omomuwasi said they had three surveillance cameras, noting: “One is located at Lekki toll gate, one at Ikoyi bridge and othe other at Chevron office. The cameras are linked via network, controlled from Chevron.”
He said they had one camera on the server, “which is located at Chevron and Ikoyi plaza, which has been burnt. The power is supplied from an IPP somewhere in Lekki Phase 1. If there is no power, we have generator. We also have a UPS because the toll gate light can never be off.
When asked by the counsel representing the Lagos State government , Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, if he could confirm any verifiable casualty from events of October 20, 2020, Omomuwasi said no.
Omomuwasi said: “We usually put the light on at about 7:30pm. Our people left the location at 4pm. Everyone was asked to go after the curfew was declared, because they didn’t want to provoke #EndSARS protesters.”
Asked about the suspected bullet shells found at Lekki tollgate during the panel’s visit last Friday, he replied that they still do not know what it was.
Asked if he believed the governor ordered the alleged shooting at the Lekki tollgate, Omomuwasi said: “None of the Lekki Concession staff physically witnessed the shooting; we can only rely on the footage.”
Chairman of the panel, Okuwobi said the panel was only investigating adding that anyone with interest should come forward with evidence.
Vanguard