The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters submitted its report to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday.
Chairman of the Panel, Justice Okuwobi expressed deep appreciation to the Lagos State Government and all the stakeholders who appeared before the panel and the team for uncommon resolve and good team work.
Justice Okuwobi, who disclosed that the panel awarded a total of N410 million to 70 victims of Police brutality, said 235 petitions were received with only 14 of it being on the alleged Lekki shooting incident.
‘As much as the panel desired to have taken all petitions, the ones that were not taken by the panel were those that did not comply with our rules, so in this report, we made recommendations for a body to take over human rights abuse cases in Lagos State’ she said.
Speaking, Sanwo-Olu vowed to implement recommendations of the panel.
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Sanwo-Olu who said this during the submission of reports immediately constituted a four-member committee led by Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) to raise a White Paper on the reports of the panel within two weeks.
Other members of the committee are; Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Mr. Segun Dawodu; Special Adviser, Works and Infrastructures, Engr. (Mrs.) Aramide Adeyoye and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Mrs. Tolani Oshodi.
According to him, the committee will bring forward a White Paper within the next two weeks to be considered by the Lagos State executive council, pledging that the reports and recommendations will be made public and submitted to the National Economic Council (NEC) for discussion.
He said, ‘I am going to constitute a four-member committee immediately, which will be 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.’
‘The four of them will very quickly, look through and bring forward a white paper within the next two weeks that will be considered at the Lagos State Executive Council and would be gazetted as a white paper coming from the panel of enquiry.’
Sanwo-Olu assured that all the recommendations in the submitted reports would be treated and expressed hope that Lagos State government’s decision on the reports would bring healing, reconciliation and restitution.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK