A member of Lagos State Judicial Panel on #EndSARS, Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN, has given a hint on the content of the report submitted to the Lagos State Government on Monday
The report was submitted in a brief ceremony at Government House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, The PUNCH was told.
The panel was inaugurated on October 19, 2020, to look into complaints of citizens against human rights abuses by the police.
Following the incident at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, the terms of reference of the Panel were expanded to cover that incident.
The panel sat for over one year, listening to testimonies of petitioners, witnesses, experts, and lawyers.
Adegboruwa said “the panel believed that crimes against humanity took place at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020”.
He said, “Specifically for the Lekki Toll Gate Investigation, we set up certain crucial issues for determination, as to whether:
“There was any protest at the Lekki Toll Gate, the nature of the protest, the presence and mission of soldiers at the Lekki Toll Gate, whether blank or live bullets were shot by the soldiers, whether there was any death and if so, the numbers involved, whether there was any massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, and if so, what evidence is available in proof thereof, whether the police were at the Lekki Toll Gate and if so, whether they shot and killed the protesters, etc.
“The Panel answered these questions truthfully, frankly, and courageously, based on the evidence led before it, believing that the crimes against humanity that took place at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, would never happen again in our nation.
“In particular, the panel affirmed the rights of the people of Nigeria to constitutionally guaranteed freedom of lawful assembly and peaceful protests, freedom of association, and freedom of expression.
“The panel made far-reaching recommendations concerning the major actors that were found culpable, in order to achieve true healing and reconciliation.
“We have done our work in the best way that we could. Nigerians should demand justice against all culprits who have been named in detail, in our report.”
The lawyer threatened to make the outcome of the report public if the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, fails to do so.
He said, “I will however keep observing the turn of events and at the appropriate time, one may be forced to state the full contents of the report if the promises made are not fulfilled.
“I can NEVER and will never subscribe to anything that would amount to covering up the report of the panel.”
Source: Punch