The Lagos judicial panel of inquiry has submitted the reports on the Lekki shooting incident and police brutality cases to the state government on Monday.
The panel led by a retired judge, Doris Okuwobi, submitted the reports at the Governor’s Office in Alausa, Ikeja.
On October 20, the Nigerian army shot at the people protesting police brutality at the Lekki tollgate, but have continuously denied involvement in the incident despite several accounts of witnesses, including hospitals where victims were taken to, showing that there were casualties.
The Nigerian army denied shooting live rounds at protesters, telling the judicial panel that only blanks were used.
The protest movement started as a campaign to end the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit accused of extortion, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
But the protests grew into a wider contestation against bad governance. Last month, activists and protesting youths held memorial protests in Lagos and in the capital Abuja under heavy police watch amidst crackdown by the Police..
The reports were submitted one month after the panel concluded its year-long sittings to investigate and award compensations to victims of police brutality.
The governor said a ‘formal committee,’ which would be headed by the Attorney-General, Moyosore Onigbanjo, would look into the reports within two weeks and “bring forward the white paper that would be considered at the Lagos state executive council and presented as the white paper coming from the panel of inquiry.
“I imagine that they would immediately read through and bring forward every little thing that has been recommended in this report,” he said.
Other members of the panel include the commissioner for youth and social development; Olusegun Dawodu, special adviser on works; Aramide Adeyoye, and the permanent secretary of the cabinet office.
“It is instructive for us to put it out on record that the panel has been totally independent,” he said.
“The panel has had its full request and has been given full authority to summon to inquire, to ask, to request anybody or anything so wish that would help them come to… conclusion,” he said.
“As the governor, I have not seen any of the panel members including the chairperson who I saw last on October 19.
“Neither have I put a phone call to her or paid her any visits or asked her for anything. In fact, before then I had never met her until the 19th of October.”
He said he believes that the submission of the reports would kickstart healing for those that have suffered in the hands of the police.
He also commended the conduct and proceedings of the panel.
