THE Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has demanded that an independent investigation be conducted into the shooting of #ENDSARS protesters by soldiers at Lekki toll gate, Lagos.
Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAC’s Executive Director who made the call stated that Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State cannot initiate an investigation into the shooting considering the complicity of the government in the incident.
“I already made the point elsewhere that considering the apparent complicity of the Lagos State governor in the Lekki massacre, that subject matter can no longer be part of the terms of reference or issues to be inquired into by the judicial panel of inquiry set up by the governor,” he said.
“The Lekki massacre must be independently, transparently, impartially and effectively investigated to unravel the truth and ensure justice.”
While condemning the recent frozen of bank accounts linked to the organisers of the #ENDSARS protest by the Central Bank of Nigeria, he added that the Nigerian Government had never been sincere in its commitment to dialogue with the #EndSARS protesters.
“It has always been their usual ways of deceit: pretend to be committed to dialogue but planning mischief.
“How can you set up a panel to look into the issues raised by #EndSARS protesters and the aftermath of the protests; you also have members of the group represented in the panel, yet you go ahead to freeze their bank accounts.
“That is the true nature and character of this government. Deceit, insincerity, lip service to everything, treachery and incompetence.
“This was exactly why the protesters took all the promises by the government with a pinch of salt and insisted on seeing concrete action before they would back down. Then the government deployed deadly violence to suppress the protests.”
He added that “the contradictions, the initial denials, then admission and then the buck-passing between the army and the Lagos State Government over who ordered the military deployment to the toll gate, shows the cowardice, insensitivity and cluelessness of some of the government appointees.”
You can reach out to me on Twitter via: vincent_ufuoma