The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry has submitted its report to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
The panel investigated the SARS related abuses, compensation for victims of police brutality and the October 20, 2020 shooting of unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), deemed a notorious police unit, was scrapped by President Muhammadu Buhari in the wake of the nationwide #EndSARS anti-police brutality protests.
The Lagos government had on October 19, 2020, inaugurated the judicial panel to investigate petitions on police brutality in the state. The work of the panel was expanded to include an investigation of the October 20, 2020 shooting following the shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate.
The eight-member panel took petitions, recommended restitutions and summoned military authorities over the tollgate shooting.
The panel submitted two sets of reports — a consolidated report on police brutality cases and the Lekki incident investigation.
Doris Okuwobi, the Chairperson of the panel, had said 186 of the 252 petitions submitted were deliberated upon.
The sitting was initially meant to last for six months but the period of proceedings stretched into one year.
Speaking after receiving the report, Governor Sanwo-Olu said it is the beginning of the “difficult process of proper reconciliation and restitution”.
The governor commended members of the panel for the work done, adding that posterity will be kind to them.
He said the report will be submitted to the national economic council (NEC), adding that “proper response” will be accorded to the recommendations.
He subsequently constituted a four-member committee headed by Moyosore Onigbanjo, the state’s attorney-general, to come up with a white paper on the panel’s recommendations within the next two weeks.
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