Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and member of the panel that investigated the Lekki tollgate shooting of October 20, 2020, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, says he expects Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to keep his promise of making the report of the judicial panel on police brutality public.
The panel wrapped up its sitting on October 19, 2021, a year after soldiers shot into a crowd of young peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate.
On Monday, November 15, the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel submitted its report to Governor Sanwo-Olu.
After receiving the report, Sanwo-Olu constituted a four-member committee headed by Lagos State Attorney General Moyosore Onigbanjo, to generate a white paper on the panel’s recommendations within a fortnight.
In his reaction, Adegboruwa says it will be “unfair and improper” for Sanwo-Olu to constitute a committee to review his panel’s report.
He adds that "he will never subscribe to anything that would amount to covering up the report of the panel."
Adegboruwa's statement reads as follows:
“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 statement reads.
“The panel made far-reaching recommendations concerning the major actors that were found culpable, in order to achieve true healing and reconciliation.
“Although I have my own copy of the report of the panel, I will trust His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, to fulfill his promise to Nigerians to make the findings and recommendations of the panel public.
“That is the only way to build a true nation and avoid a repeat of the atrocious acts of security agencies against our people, especially the youths, the vulnerable and the helpless.
“It is my view that Lagos state, having appeared before the panel as a party, having tendered documents before the panel and led witnesses to take a position on the Incident of the Lekki toll gate, it will be unfair and improper for Lagos state to be a judge in its own cause, by seeking to review the report of the Panel.
“However, the governor explained to me that this would only be done to enable the government implement the findings and recommendations of the Panel and not to tamper with it or mutilate it. I believe His Excellency.
“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.
“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 panel also took petitions bordering on police brutality and human rights abuses allegedly perpetrated by law enforcement personnel.