THE Lagos State government has explained its decision to appeal a Federal High Court judgment that awarded N5 million as compensation to a driver allegedly assaulted during the #EndSARS memorial rally in Lagos.
The State’s Ministry of Justice, in a statement on Saturday, March 25, by its spokesperson, Grace Alo, said that the state government opposed the applicant’s claims during the case hearing.
Adedotun Clement, the driver in question, was carrying a passenger when he encountered a gridlock at the Lekki Toll-Gate during a protest to commemorate the first anniversary of #EndSARS.
He was subsequently tortured and pepper-sprayed by the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency officers and policemen.
On March 14, 2023, the court ordered the state government to pay Adedotun N5 million as compensation for the torture he suffered during the protest.
However, Adedotun’s counsel, Inibehe Effiong, claimed that the Lagos government was rejecting the judgment of the High Court, alleging a “lack of evidence for the torture.”
But the ministry explained that filing an appeal and asking for a stay of execution of the judgment was a constitutional right available to the state government to protect and reserve its rights under the law.
The statement added that the appeal and stay of execution did not prevent the ministry from further reviewing the matter and deciding whether to proceed with or withdraw the appeal.
The ministry assured the public that it would continue to be guided by the rule of law in carrying out its duties.
Alo also stated that once a definitive position was taken on the matter, the public would be notified.
The #EndSARS protests were a series of demonstrations in Nigeria in 2020 that demanded an end to police brutality and the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigerian police.
The protests started in Lagos and quickly spread to other parts of the country, including Abuja. The protests were largely peaceful, but they were met with a violent crackdown by the police and other security agencies, leading to the deaths of several people.
The protests drew international attention, and the Nigerian government eventually dissolved the SARS unit and promised to reform the police force.
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