The position of the Nigerian Army that only blank bullets with gunpowder were used to disperse peaceful protesters at the Lekki Tollgate has become a subject of speculation.
Recall that the Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Brigadier-General Ahmed Taiwo, had made the claims on Saturday, November 14, when he appeared before the judicial panel of inquiry set up by the Lagos State government to investigate cases of police brutality.
Brigadier-General Taiwo also insisted that the soldiers deployed to the area only fired into the air and not directly at the #EndSARS protesters.
However, Meshack Esanibi an alleged victim of the shooting maintains that the bullets he took in his left leg are yet to be extracted over three weeks after the incident.
The story of Esanibi who was allegedly rushed to the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, after he was allegedly shot on the left leg by soldiers drafted to disperse the #ENDSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate is not too different.
Weeks after the incident, Esanibi is still in Ward B of the General Hospital.
He revealed that he still experience excruciating pain all over his body, especially on the affected limb, noting that the discomfort he felt might be because the bullet had not been extracted from his leg.
“Since I was admitted after the Lekki toll gate shooting incident, the bullet has not been removed. It is still in my leg.
“I don’t even know whether the bullet was the cause of the intense pain I am feeling. But I was told by a doctor that I will soon be taken into the theatre again.
“Even the result of the X-ray done on my leg was not given to me. But I observe that the doctors have it on their phone from where they assess it from time to time,” he said.
Further, Esanibi said he had not started using his leg. However, he said that his gunshot wounds are being attended to regularly.
Esanibi told our correspondent that he was in dire need of blood donors before his surgery can be carried out.
“I have been told that the only thing delaying my surgery is blood. One of the doctors explained that I lost too much blood as a result of the bullet wound I sustained and would require at least two pints of blood.
“Consequently, I sent for my sister to come for the test, but she was rejected. I was told she did not look fit to donate blood.
“Even the medical director visited two days ago and expressed concerns about my case. He said the hospital had made attempts to procure the blood but didn’t see any,” he lamented.
Esanibi explained that though the wound appeared to have healed, he was told to avoid putting it under pressure.
“I was told the surgery would have been done and the bullets removed two weeks ago if those two pints of blood had been available.
“But the doctors have reassured me that I have nothing to fear about the danger of having a bullet in my body.
“They said there are still some people moving around today with bullets lodged somewhere in their respective system,” he said.
Lamenting his predicament, Esanibi said, “Honestly, I have no one to reach out to at the moment because all my relatives, including my only surviving brother, Jonathan, are presently in Delta State.
“I cannot even reach a couple of friends I know for help as a result of the wallet and phone I lost during the Lekki toll gate shooting.
“Having spent one month on this sick bed, I am tired and just want to leave,” he concluded.
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