A witness at the Lagos #EndSARS panel, Kamsiyochukwu Ibeh, was brutally macheted by hoodlums in an attempt to silence her over the massacre by Nigerian soldiers during the October 20, 2020 protest to end police brutality at the Lekki toll gate.

Ms Ibeh was a prominent eyewitness at the protest and had appeared as a witness during the investigation into the massacre conducted by the judicial panel on enquiry.

In a video footage posted online by Foundation for Investigative Journalism, a crying Ms Ibeh narrated how she was brutally attacked by three criminals at a bus-stop yesternight.

She said the three assailants saw her at the bus-stop and attacked her with the intention of killing her but she was saved miraculously. 

“Last night, I was attacked on my way back from TNS by three guys whom I thought were passersby. We were standing at the bus-stop waiting for a vehicle, only one of them to shed light on my face.

“One said, this girl from panel, shebi an una dey claim say una sabi pass, una no wan stop abi? They said if they killed me, they would see how I would continue to agitate for justice. So, I told them I don’t know what they’re talking about. They started hitting me.

“See my back, see my leg. They started cutting me like I am a thief. I survived by the grace of God because I thought I would die at that bus stop. This is what they did to me,” she cried.

Counsel representing the witness, Adesina Ademola Ogunlana, said criminals intending to kill and silence her for testifying at the panel, had attacked Ms Ibeh on Sunday night.

Narrating how his client was attacked during a press conference at Ikeja on Monday, Mr Ademola said the criminals inflicted injuries on Ms Ibeh’s body with machetes.

He said that the attackers, while macheting Ms Ibeh, warned her to desist from sharing her testimony, and thereafter left her to die after.

Mr Adesina said the members of the #EndSARS panel will hold the Lagos state and federal government responsible for the murderous attack on Ms Ibeh.

“May I say at this junction that yesterday night, enemies of the #EndSARS movement launched a murderous attack on one of the leaders of the movement Kamsiyochukwu Ibeh.

“The attackers were not criminals who came to rob her of personal effect, neither were they rapists. The criminals came with identities and purpose.

“As they were cutting her with machetes they said we know you and since you #EndSARS people have been warmed to stop and you didn’t, when you die go and continue in heaven.

“They inflicted serious machete cuts on her and left her for dead. That Kamsi is still alive is only by the grace of God.

“We hold the agents of the government, particularly the Lagos state government responsible for this heinous attack. The intention is clear and it is a prophecy of years to come.”

Mr Adesina said the government “earnestly desires to silence the #EndSARS protesters and reverse the position of the Lagos state panel of enquiry.”

He said the state and federal government’s mission has failed and the panel members will not succumb to the pressure being orchestrated by both government.

“Lagos state and federal government earnestly desire to silence the #EndSARS protesters and reverse the position of the Lagos state panel of enquiry into the abuse which indented the Lagos state and federal government that indeed a massacre took place at the Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020. They have failed and we will continue to face their desperate rants.”

In a 309 page submitted to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos, by the judicial panel on enquiry, Ms Ibeh testified that she witnessed the incident that happened on the night the military shot at unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll gate.

According to the report, “She testified that the soldiers repeatedly would shoot, stop and then approach the protesters. At this point, people were ‘dropping’ with various injuries while Dabira was still trying to calm the protesters down.

“DJ Switch also dropped the microphone and began attending to the people who had been shot, dead or injured close to her,” the report panel cited Ms Ibeh as saying.

“She informed the Panel that the shooting went on for about forty-five (45) minutes and that she noticed a van drive in after which the shooting stopped.

“Someone who appeared to be the boss of the soldiers alighted and the soldiers immediately stood beside him. The said boss then approached the protesters asking them to leave.

“She recalled that when some of the protesters stood up to leave, they were shot. As a result, everyone was scared to stand up again,” Ms Ibeh had narrated in the report.