November 16, (THEWILL) – The United States government has asked the federal and Lagos state governments to take action on the recently submitted report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry that looked into allegations of police brutality in the state.
The panel was inaugurated by the Lagos state government to look into the events of October 2020, including the shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate, and review cases of police brutality.
THEWILL had reported that the panel’s report was submitted on Monday in a brief ceremony at the Lagos State Government House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos..
The panel had on Monday confirmed there was indeed a massacre of protesters at Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.
According to the panel’s findings, the massacre was carried out by both the military and the police.
In a statement on Tuesday, the US Mission in Nigeria said America awaits the response from President Muhammadu Buhari government and the Lagos state government.on the EndSARS report.
The Embassy noted that official actions are part of a process that represents an important mechanism of accountability regarding the EndSARS protests and events at the toll gate.
It further noted that the response of the Lagos state government should also consider the grievances of the victims and their families, noting that such response denotes accountability for events relating to the #EndSARS protests.
The statement read: “The United States welcomes the conclusion of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry with the transmission of its final report.
“We look forward to the Lagos State government’s response as part of a process that represents an important mechanism of accountability regarding the #EndSARS protests and the events that took place near the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.
“Those events led to serious allegations against some members of the security forces, and we look forward to the Lagos State and federal governments taking suitable measures to address those alleged abuses as well as the grievances of the victims and their families.”
While receiving the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Monday, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, constituted a four-member committee led by the 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
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