Posted by Samuel on Wed 02nd Oct, 2024 - tori.ng
Nigerians attracted global attention after they took to the streets across the country in late 2020 to call for the disbandment of SARS, accused of extrajudicial killings, extortion, and torture.
Serah Ibrahim, one of the coordinators of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality and the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, has vowed to take legal action against social media user Princess Banke Oniru. Oniru had claimed that Ibrahim and other coordinators shared millions of naira multiple times.
Nigerians attracted global attention after they took to the streets across the country in late 2020 to call for the disbandment of SARS, accused of extrajudicial killings, extortion, and torture.
At the twilight of the protest in October 2020, unarmed protesters waving Nigerian flags were brutally killed after soldiers and police invaded the Lekki Tollgate, the main convergence point of the protest in Lagos State. The government has denied carrying out such an attack on peaceful protesters.
While there had been several controversies around the funds generated for the protest, with Feminist Coalition (FEMCO) facing public scrutiny over the group’s alleged inability to properly account for the funds received, Princess Banke Oniru on Sunday, September 29, shared some details on how funds from the government were allegedly shared by acclaimed coordinators of the protest
Oniru with X handle, @HRH_bankeoniru said, "Following the EndSARS unrest, and during the panel of inquiry, the Lagos state government's initial funding offer was met with resistance.
"@sarahibrahim and associates then consulted Mr. Femi Falana regarding the substantial sum proposed for advisory purposes.
"Despite Mr. Falana's counsel to accept the funds as a gift, I deemed it incongruous to accept financial compensation from those we were opposing, fearing it may undermine our integrity.
"The first funds Sarah called me to pick up was 1.5m. The second was 1m. I have proofs. Messages to back it up. The endsars coordinators shared millions of money severally. Going back and forth to pick a Ghana must go filled with cash at Alausa, Ikeja.
"On two separate occasions, I entrusted my personal assistant to collect money from Sarah, ensuring she took photographs for evidentiary purposes. Afterwards, I shared images of the funds received on EndSars United and Competent Nigerians platforms for public dissemination as giveaways.
"Adeshina Ademola Ogunlana of blessed memories was the only lawyer that stand genuinely for the endsars. He can never be bought.
"Falana is a constant betrayal of our ideals. Remember he almost frustrated the tribunal.
"Mr. Femi Falana is not a saint.
"Te ba fa gburu, Gburu ma fa igbo.
"istandwithVDM."
Later on September 30, 2024, Oniru followed up with these tweets: "This is how I participate in protests. I utilize my three vehicles, among others. These were acquired prior to the EndSars protests.
"I attend protests with my personal drivers, and my vehicles have customized plate numbers. Initially, my family thought I required counselling due to their lack of understanding regarding my involvement in protests unrelated to me. I later sold my range. Bought a Mercedes 450 4matic because it was damaged when we matched down to block the Lekki link bridge.
"I now comprehend why the elite rarely utilize their influence to advocate for the marginalized. They often dismiss them due to their impoverished mindset.
"Meanwhile, individuals like Sarah and Dabira have upgraded from public transportation and Uber.
"Notably, they purchased their first vehicles using endsars funds. The unfortunate eleyin ku said I called her severally because of 1m. Criminals."
However, Serah Ibrahim in a letter to Oniru dated October 2, 2024, stated that she will not seek retractions and apologies for the lies tweeted to deliberately harm her, assuring that "we will both have our day before the law court of the land," for "I will surely sue you".
She questioned Banke Oniru’s mental acuity in the "service of your relevance-seeking entrists masters, the Lagos State Government under Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu, who planted themselves within the EndSARS movement in order to discredit and possibly demobilise it whilst pretending to be sympathisers".
Giving details of her own account, Serah stated that despite that she did not got a kobo, Banke Oniru collected N2 million grudgingly instead of the N2.5 million she wanted as consideration for having served as "Petitioner Witness" at the Tribunal.
"If anyone was qualified to take any part of the money under that guise of "Petitioner Witness", you surely were not more qualified than me in that wise. I was the major and star witness for the protesters and I challenge you to dispute it.
"I also challenge you to dispute the fact that I pleaded with you in vain to give up your portion so that the payment to the four mothers that we were able to trace of the dead victims could have more than the miserable N3.7 million each that they got allocated and paid.
"By the way, this is not too late. "HRM Princess Banke Oniru" can still return the N2m she took so that we can share it four-ways to the mothers of four of the identified dead victims on the list," Serah stated.
On how, she got involved, Serah stated: "Sometime between April and May 2022, (that is, some few months towards the second year commemoration of the 20/10/2020 Lekki Toll Gate catastrophe), I started receiving calls from an unknown number (0803400****). ...due to persistence of the calls from the particular number, I eventually answered and the caller, upon self-introduction, turned out to be the Hon. Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, LASG Commissioner for Information who said he was contacting me at the instance of Governor Sanwo-Olu who wished to personally give me some money to support I and any other EndSARS Lekki Massacre victim within my discretion.
"I immediately told him that the Governor had with him the Report of the Tribunal set-up by him, and that the Report contained the names of some of the dead and injured victims from the Lekki Toll Gate and recommendations as to compensation, which the Government should simply adopt and implement. In response, Commissioner Omotoso clarified that the money was coming from the personal purse of Governor Sanwo-Olu, and distinct from whatever the Government may eventually do.
"I immediately smelled a rat! So, I told him that the offered gesture was not within my personal capacity to contemplate or undertake without consultation, and the Commissioner agreed. This was more so as I was not one of the dead or injured victims, but only came out boldly to tell their story as a witness before the EndSARS Panel."
In order not to be her decision, she said she brought the development to the attention of the duo of Mr. Femi Falana, SAN and Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN.
Mr. Olumide- Fusika, SAN was the leader of the team of lawyers put together for us by Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, to represent majority of the victims that approached him for representation at the LASG Panel of Inquiry into the Lekki Toll Gate massacre, she said.
She said, "Although Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, did not personally appear at the Panel, Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN worked under his direction and regular consultation throughout. The services were not only pro bono, the expenses incidental to the works (including the transportation of witnesses that came from far distances) were also funded from their own pockets. It was therefore natural that they were the first persons I went to for consultation on the offer conveyed to me by Commissioner Omotosho.
"During my meeting with them, Mr. Femi Falana advised that we played along with Commissioner Omotoso because it would serve to as admission by the LASG of the Lekki Toll Gate massacre which the Government had been denying despite the findings of its own Panel of Inquiry. He added that in any case, I had a duty to bring the offer to the attention of the actual victims and give them the opportunity to make their own decision, rather than me (who did not suffer death or injury but just a witness coordinating the victims) rejecting it peremptorily.
"He also advised that whatever is said to be the source of the money (whether from the coffers of the LASG or the private purse of Governor Sanwo-Olu), I should endeavour to take and keep proper records and ensure that the compensation was paid directly to the bank accounts of whichever of the victims agree to take it."
Following the discussions she had with the lawyers, Oniru said, "I went into consultations with other coordinators and the victims, themselves, and rather than continuing to interact with Commissioner Omotoso alone. I arranged for him to have a face-to-face meeting with some of the victims that were readily available.
"The first of such meetings took place at Demeros Hotel & Suites, 4a Celestial Church Street, Off Amara Olu Street, Agidingbi, on the 14th day of May, 2022. As an outcome, a list of beneficiaries was to be prepared and given to Commissioner Omotoso.
"Prior to submitting the list, I sent the following memos by WhatsApp to Commissioner Omotoso on 22/6/2022 (1 eagerly wait for your master to deny the fact) restating what he had told the meeting as to the source and purpose of the offered money: ‘Yes Sir, I wanted to inform you that I have composed a list but I want to speak to all the guys and ladies this evening before I send to you. I need to inform them all that it's not their compensation but a personal assistance from the Governor.’
"It was after I had sent him the above that Commissioner Omotoso, on same day, disclosed, for the first time that the amount was in tranches, and the purse provided to him allegedly from Governor Sanwo Olu's personal pocket for the purpose.
"His exact words, sent by WhatsApp message to me, was: ‘I have N50m now; I'm expecting =N=50m more. All the listed people should share it, based on your recommendation of who gets what. I again rejected the lure of unilateral conduct and replied to Commissioner Omotoso, that: ‘I am trying to inform them about the current amount of assistance and let me get their own opinions.’
"After obtaining the opinions and the required consensus, the list of beneficiaries and their respective shares was forwarded by WhatsApp message from me to Commissioner Omotoso on 1/7/2022.
"On 2/7/2022, Commissioner Omotoso met again with those of the available beneficiaries at the same Demeros Hotel. Everything that took place at the place on that day (pertaining to the allocation and cash and bank distribution of the initial =N=50m among the beneficiaries) can be verified from an audio-visual recording caused to be taken by Commissioner Omotosho.
"They are also fully narrated in a written memo I subsequently submitted within the rank of EndSARS Activists and Coordinators always present in court. A copy of the said memorandum is hereto attached, and it is left to Commissioner Omotosho to release his audio-visual record to either confirm or discredit what I recorded in the memorandum.
"The fact regarding why and how Commissioner Omotoso made an audio- visual-recording of the proceedings was reported in my said memorandum, as follows:
"On my arrival, I first of all handed the Commissioner for Information a letter dated 1 of July, titled: "RE: YOUR OFFER OF ASSISTANCE TO LEKKI TOLL ENDSARS VICTIMS". I then noticed the presence of a Camera which I requested for an explanation as to why I cannot bring a camera or inform the media houses of the event but the Governor would bring one.
"The Commissioner quickly stated to me that the camera was for his own record keeping to show the governor he did not mismanage the funds but used it for its main purpose since the money given to him for the victims was in cash. I still stated my displeasure because they pleaded to us not to inform the media or take pictures or videos but did the opposite of what they pleaded with us not to do.
"As also captured in that memorandum, the victims agreed with Commissioner Omotoso at the meeting, thus: The total sum given to all victims was NGN48,000,000 while NGN2,000,000 was given to the 2 major legal Teams of the victims as requested by the victims. The victims suggested some amount should be deducted from them so that their legal teams can receive N1,000,000 each as an appreciation for their hard work and assistance.”
She continued, "The distribution of the second N50m which Commissioner Omotoso said was from the personal pocket of Governor Sanwo-Olu was to the same set of beneficiaries of the first N50m. What was given to you in the second instalment was the same amount of N=1,000,000:00, making a total of =N=2,000,000:00. The reason you think you collected a total of =N=2,500,000:00 is probably because that was the amount you greedily and quarrelsomely demanded I allocate and give to you, "HRM Princess Banke Oniru"! (LOL).
"It took a lot of pleas from me for you to take less, after you had adamantly rejected my plea to let all of the money to go to the actual victims, most especially the mothers of three of the many dead persons that we were able to trace at the time despite my best efforts.”
She, however, challenged Omotoso to come out and say whether the money he claimed he was given by Governor Sanwo-Olu to distribute was more than the N100 million he disclosed and distributed.
"He is also challenged to come out and say whether I was one of the beneficiaries. He is also challenged to come out and state to the public whether the distribution was other than to the persons and in the proportions listed in the documents I have attached to this letter to you," Serah Ibrahim added.