A member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa said that he would publish the full content of the report submitted to the Lagos State Government if the government failed to fulfil its promises.
Recalled that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said on Monday that he would set up a committee to come up with a white paper on the recommendations of the panel.
“We will ensure that the recommendations that are coming out will be turned into a white paper and would be made available to the public,” said Sanwo-Olu while receiving copies of the report on Monday.
“We will do it appropriately so that history will judge us well and we will have a document that will stand the test of time.”
But Adegboruwa said that it will be unfair and improper for Lagos State who is a party in the inquiry to review the report of the panel.
The senior lawyer, however, said that Sanwo-Olu promised to act on the recommendations of the panel. He said that the full report may be published if the governor does not fulfil his promises.
“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,” said in a press release on Monday.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel on #EndSARS on Monday, November 15, 2021, submitted its report to the Lagos State Government, in a brief ceremony at Government House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
The panel was inaugurated by Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to investigate the complaints of citizens against human rights abuses by the police. The Panel sat for over one year, taking testimonies of petitioners, their witnesses, experts, and lawyers.
While receiving the report on Monday, Sanwo-Olu expressed hope that the Lagos State government’s decision on the reports would bring complete healing, reconciliation, and restitution to victims.
Sanwo-Olu said he would constitute a four-member committee headed by the Attorney-General, the Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, the Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure and the Permanent Secretary, the Cabinet office to produce a white paper in two weeks.
He noted that the white paper would be considered at the Lagos State Executive Council and would be gazetted as a white paper coming from the Panel of Inquiry.
Adegboruwa said he hoped there would be no coverups.
“I can never and will never subscribe to anything that would amount to covering up the report of the Panel.
“We have done our work in the best way that we could. Nigerians should demand for justice against all culprits who have been named in detail, in our report.”
The report indicted the Nigeria Army and police in the killing and assault of armless protesters on October 20 2020.
The report said the “Nigerian Army shot, injured and killed unarmed helpless and defenceless protesters, without provocation or justification, while they were waving the Nigerian Flag and singing the National Anthem and the manner of assault and killing could in context be described as a massacre.”
Guardian
