Babajide Lawson, a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon at Reddington Hospital says the hospital was overwhelmed with ”mass casualty” from the Lekki shooting of October 20, 2020.
The doctor confirmed that gunshot victims from Lekki tollgate were brought to the Lekki and Victoria Island branch of the hospital on October 20, 21, and 22.
Lawson, disclosed this while giving his testimony before the Lagos judicial panel on police brutality on Saturday.
Mr. Lawson, while testifying before the judicial panel, said due to the crowd, there is a likelihood that the hospital did not capture the records of all the patients.
Lawson testified he knew patients who were victims of the October 20 incident and were brought to Reddington hospital on the said date and days after. Being in charge of trauma, he testified that he saw a couple of victims.
The Reddington hospital doctor said he can’t remember the exact number of victims brought that night but he saw 6 patients that night and subsequently attended to other patients.
Lawson testified that the victims sustained varying degrees of injuries.
While being cross examined by Olumide Fusika and Adesina Ogunlana, the two lawyers representing victims of the shooting, Lawson said six persons with varying gunshot wounds were treated at the Victoria Island branch of the hospital.
Fusika had asked: ”Go through the medical reports and confirm if it’s from Reddington and whether they are people you know.”
In his response, Lawson said: “Yes, it’s our medical report. I don’t know them personally but I know them as patients that I treated.”
“Being in charge of trauma, it means that anybody that is involved in traumatic injuries such as accident and gunshots must go through me in both of our locations.
“On that 20th, a lot of the patients were treated at the Lekki office. Later on the night of 20th, I also went to the Lekki office to assess the level of assistance needed in my capacity and I also spoke with the MD of that branch. That night, I transferred a patient to the VI office which is our headquarters where I work from and where he stayed till the 23rd”.
“On the first night, there are about six patients that I saw at that night, but as the day goes by, other patients trickled in.”
Fusika asked why a medical report was not issued to one Samuel Oshola, who was also treated at the hospital alongside others who were victims of the Lekki shooting despite presenting evidence of being treated at Reddington.
Lawson responded by saying: “We witnessed what we can call ‘mass casualty’ that overwhelmed our facilities because a lot of people with varying degrees of gunshot wounds were being brought into the hospital for treatment on October 20 and days after it.
if the person is requesting for a report, we would check the treatment files and file a medical report.”
The names of victims whom Lawson confirmed that he treated personally for gunshot wounds as a result of the Lekki shooting are: Ajogwu Japheth, Philemon Lucky, Samuel Oshola, Nnaji Madem, Bright Osariemen, Damilola Adedayo and Joshua Samuel.
Lawson was quick to state that he did not treat Joshua Samuel personally, but that a cardiothoracic surgeon did because a bullet shell logged close to his vital organs. He said he only assessed him and made recommendations.
He also said the victims treated at the Lekki branch of the hospital will be confirmed by one Opakunle, a doctor who was in charge at the time of the incident, when she comes to testify before the panel on February 15,2021.
