LAGOS lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has said that government lawyers who are trying to dispute the report of the panel on EndSARS, particularly the Lekki shooting, are “obviously weeping more than the bereaved.
“In a lengthy op-ed on Monday night, Falana said lawyers to the state government at the panel, Jelili Owonikoko and Kayode Enitan, both senior advocates, have consistently spoken against the report, seeking to dwarf its relevance on the basis of alleged inaccuracies. He claimed the facts the lawyers were trying to dispute had long been acknowledged by the governor himself.
“The Lekki Concession Company Limited, an agency of the Lagos State Government which later disabled the CCTV camera at the Lekki Toll Gate which captured the tragic incident of the night in question, had issued a press statement to condemn the wanton killing of the protesters.
A copy of the press statement was tendered and admitted in evidence during the proceedings.
“In any case, the controversy surrounding the findings of the Commission is centred around the number of the protesters who were killed and not that the killings did not occur.
“But it is on record that a few hours after the incident, Governor Sanwo-Olu had disclosed that two people were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate. The disclosure was made after the governor had visited several injured people who were then receiving treatment in some hospitals.
“It is, therefore, crystal clear that those who are out to discredit the report are obviously weeping more than the bereaved.
“But no amount of campaign of calumny can impeach the solid credentials of members of the Judicial Commission.”
He, therefore, suggested that the Lagos State government was caught off-guard by the findings of the panel which investigated the shooting of protesters by soldiers and policemen at Lekki Toll Gate, October last year. The senior advocate, however, signalled that the state government would see through the implementation of the panel’s recommendations.
He said: “No doubt, the Lagos State government must have been stunned by the findings of the Commission.”
Assuring of implementation, he noted, “Contrary to the antics of the critics of the report of the commission, the Lagos State government has demonstrated its readiness to implement the recommendations.
“It is pertinent to note that while the commission was sitting, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited the homes of the six police officers who were killed in Lagos during the protests, paid them N60 million and announced that the state government would educate the children of the slain officers up to university level.
“The widow of a spy policeman who was killed by a mob has equally been compensated by the state government.
“To stop the police from killing participants during peaceful rallies and public meetings, the Lagos State government has equipped the state police command with cannisters of teargas and water cannon.”
In the electronic statement titled, ‘The massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate,’ the human rights advocate warned that no amount of calumny campaign would impeach the integrity and reputation of the panel members.
EndSARS protesters who testified before Lagos panel attacked
Meanwhile, an #EndSARS protester, Kamsiyochukwu Ibe, who testified before a Lagos Judicial Panel on the alleged role of the military and the police in the Lekki shooting of October 20, 2020, has been attacked by hoodlums who left her with machete wounds.
According to Channels Television, this was disclosed on Monday by members of the Joint #EndSARS at a press conference in Lagos.
They added that Miss Ibe has been hospitalised following the attack and is responding to treatment.
The co-counsel of EndSARS protesters and secretary, Radical Agenda Movement in the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ayo Ademiluyi, while speaking at the conference on behalf of the group, alleged that the attack was a continuation of the threat which they have suffered since the submission of the EndSARS panel’s report.
Other members of the movement at the press conference also alleged threats on their members.
They asked the Nigeria Police to immediately take action and arrest those who may be culpable, whom they mentioned as ‘thugs’ responsible for the attacks.
Meanwhile, Ibe has said she was attacked for giving testimony to the panel. She stated this in a video released on social media on Monday.
“I was attacked by three guys (men) whom I thought were passers-by,” she said in video while displaying the machete cuts on her body.
“I was standing at the bus stop waiting for a vehicle, only for one of them to point a torchlight at my face, before pouncing on me with dangerous objects. They said my crime was because I testified before the panel.
“They said if they killed me, there would be no way for me to continue agitating for justice. I told them that I didn’t know what they were talking about.
“They started hitting me. See all my body, back, leg, hand badly injured. They cut me like I am a thief. I survived by the grace of God because I almost died at that bus stop.”
Hold govt responsible if anything happens to me —Adegboruwa
Meanwhile, Lagos-based lawyer and activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), on Monday, confirmed the attack on Miss Ibe. Adegboruwa said Miss Ibe was attacked on Sunday night and dealt serious machete blows, just as he added that:
“It was clearly an attempted murder as reported by her counsel with very disturbing photos.”
He, therefore, asked Nigerians to hold the government responsible if anything happened to him, alleging that since the submission of the report of the Lagos #EndSARS panel, there had been threats and attacks on him by those he suspects to be agents of government.
Adegboruwa stated that he had not committed any crime beyond joining other eminent Nigerians with unblemished integrity to accept the nomination of government on behalf of his constituency, the Nigerian Bar Association, the civil society and the masses for a national assignment.
He stated that “two prominent lawyers of the government have openly incited opinions against me on national television, with mindless accusations. I have, however, refused to be intimidated or bend to the tactics of government to be silenced.
“I urge the good people of Nigeria, my professional colleagues in the Nigerian Bar Association and my comrades in the civil rights movement to hold government responsible should anything happen to me.
“I heeded the clarion call to serve by the government with the honest believe that the panel was meant to say the truth and nothing but the truth, which is what we have done. It is left for government and Nigerians to do the needful with the report of the panel,” he said.
Areas that affect FG will be addressed —Presidency
Meanwhile, presidential aide, Mr Femi Adesina, has said that the Federal Government would only address areas within the White Paper report of the Lagos Judicial Panel on Police Brutality that concerns it, as the date for the official submission draws near.
Adesina, on Monday, during an interview on Channels Television’s Breakfast Programme, Sunrise Daily, said this while explaining steps which the Federal Government would take in handling the situation.
“What would happen is that when the states come up with pronouncements on that panel report, that would then be of interest to the Federal Government.
“Definitely, when the reports come out the ones that are Federal in nature will be considered. There are some things that would be Federal in nature, the Federal Government would tackle that, but things that are state in nature, the state governments will handle,” Adesina said.
Adamawa panel submits report to Fintiri
In a related development, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up to look into alleged brutality of the Anti-Robbery Squad SARS in Adamawa State has submitted its report to Governor Ahamdu Finitiri at the Government House in Yola on Monday. Receiving the report, Governor Fintiri commended the sacrifice of the 13-member panel for a job well-done.
He assured them that government would study the report and recommendations thoroughly for proper implementation.
Credit: Tribune