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#EndSARS: Lawyer picks holes in submitted report

A LAWYER who represented Lagos State at the sittings of the #EndSARS panel Abiodun Owonikoko has picked holes in the report submitted to governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Speaking on Arise Television on Thursday Owonikoko said the panel’s findings should have been kept secret and not made public.

“By law, the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the panel were not supposed to be made public.


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“The report making rounds on social media is a draft of a minority opinion because I was there all through the proceedings. I am particularly shocked to read what is contained in the report because it is not completely accurate,” he said.

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Owonikoko disclosed that the police, which, according to him, suffered significant casualties during the crisis was not allowed to state its case.

“In that report there is no single mention of police casualty, not even a mention of what they lost.

“The Area Commander of Lekki, Epe Express came with one of his foot cut, he could not wear official police boots anymore, he was limping to testify, he was one of those recommended to be tried in this report. No mention of any single police person that came to testify.”

He also raised questions over the persons the report claimed were killed during the Lekki Toll Gate shooting.

“There is not a single person on that list which family or relation came to testify that he died that the family came to testify. No evidence of where he died, no medical certificate, nothing and we expect that as a person of conscience, I will abide by that report, that is why I cant believe that,” the lawyer said.

He further claimed the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), which was indicted in the report, could not testify during the panel’s sittings.

Owonikoko stated that some members of the panel ensured that the Lekki Toll Gate was not reopened four months after the incident, despite the LCC trying to present evidence to vindicate the company.




     

     

    According to him, a member of the panel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa was absent for most of the proceedings and had a pending case in court challenging the legality of the toll gate.

    “Adegboruwa cannot give an objective report on the Lekki incident because he was always absent during the sittings which were held on Saturdays. He already had a case in court, challenging the legality of the toll gate. It is worrisome that he also signed off on the report, given that he was mostly absent. It makes the report tainted.”

    Owonikoko added, “There are almost 40 material discrepancies in that report, including awarding financial compensations to people who were claimed to have died, who never died. They later came out to say that they did not die. How would you make that kind of mistake to award millions of naira to somebody, claiming that he has died? He was even a witness and in the report, they awarded him N15 million. What kind of report is that? The report is not good for Nigeria.” 

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    The ICIR had reported the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Related Abuses and Other Matters submitted its report to governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday.

    Bankole Abe
    Reporter at ICIR | [email protected] | Author Page

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