The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Ade Ipaye, has said that after investigations he personally conducted based on directives from Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Lagos State Government can say categorically that no one died from the face-off over the introduction of toll gate on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
Ipaye, who spoke with newsmen in alausa, Ikeja on Wednesday, said that it thus remains untrue that one Femi Ogunsanya died during the protest.
Assisted at the press conference by his Environment and Information and Strategy counterparts, Tunji Bello and Remi Ibirogba, Ipaye said after Fashola, whom he said was not against the protest, raised the issue of Ogunsanya having died in the protest as reported by a national daily, he decided to investigate.
He said Ipaye did not die but was only injured.
He said: “The injured person was later identified as Femi Ogunsanya, 39 years.
“An employee of PHCN, attached to Lekki Phase 1.
“Upon his treatment, he was transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, where all others were taken on the directive of the Commissioner of Police.
“His statement was obtained and he was released on bail to one Kayode Aderinokun.”
Ipaye said the protest went on peacefully until one of the protesters smashed the windscreen of a police vehicle, adding: “The police on that day was led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations.
“He monitored the protesters all the way from Lekki gate to where they took off to the Admiralty Circle Toll Plaza.
“The protesters conducted themselves peacefully until they got to Toll Plaza, sat on the road and blocked the flow of traffic.
“Efforts to prevail on the protesters to leave the road proved abortive.
“An alert was raised that a windscreen of the Black Maria had been broken by one of the protesters.
“The person was promptly arrested. His arrest led to a scuffle by other protesters who didn’t want the man to be arrested.
“During the struggle, he (Ogunsanya) sustained a minor injury on the forehead and was taken into custody, then moved to the emergency centre at the old Lagos/Ibadan Toll gate for treatment.”
Ipaye expressed worry about wrong reportage by the media, adding: “The government is concerned about this sort of blatant reportage, not just because of its effect on readers but that such a report seemed deliberate to incite further riot and disturbances which is capable of causing trouble in the society.
“Initially we thought it was an error, but this latest story shows this media house is a mischief maker!”
He said the state government was contemplating legal action and reporting to the National Press Council.
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