The Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution on Lekki Toll Gate shooting Incident and cases of Police brutality as well as human rights violations on Monday concluded its duties as it presented it’s report to Lagos State Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, for further action and implementations.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who received the report from the panel at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, vowed to treat the report appropriately, declaring that history is there to judge the State government well or otherwise.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that the panel was led by Doris Okuwobi, a retired judge, while other members comprised of: Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN, Patience Udoh, both representing the Civil Society, Taiwo Lakanu, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Segun Awosanya, human rights activist, Olutoyin Odusanya, Director, Lagos Citizens Mediation Center, and Temitope Majekodunmi, a youth representative.
While receiving the report at the presentation ceremony, Governor Sanwo-Olu, constituted a Four-Man Committee, led by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN to prepare a White Paper for the purpose of implementing the findings and recommendations expressed in the report and to give it legal backing; as well as send the report to the National Economic Council for implementation.
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Other members of the committee are; Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Mr. Segun Dawodu; Special Adviser, Works and Infrastructures, Engr. (Mrs.) Aramide Adeyooye and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Mrs. Tolani Oshodi.
Sanwo-Olu who promised to release the White Paper within two weeks for public knowledge, promised not to tinker with the report and recommendations as submitted by the Panel.
According to the governor: ‘The committee 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.
‘We will ensure that the recommendations that are coming out that will be turn into a white paper will be made available to the public, 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, that’s what the tribunal law says, so that it will be properly documented and gazetted in government’s records.
‘We hope the report would bring healing, reconciliation, and restitution,’ he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Okuwobi expressed deep appreciation to the State government and all the stakeholders who appeared before the panel and the team for uncommon resolve and good team work.
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.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK