Lagos government was the first to discredit the panel’s report when it’s officials alleged bias against the panel
By Ishaya Ubrahim, News Editor
The Lagos State Government’s White Paper on the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on EndSARS, has rejected a key finding of the panel that there was a massacre on October 20,2020.
The panel had indicted the Army and the Lagos State government on the event of October 20,2020 when protesters were shot at while chanting the Nigerian National Anthem at the Lekki Tollgate plaza. .
Read Also: Shehu Sani calls Lagos White Paper a whitewash, Odinkalu says it represents darkness
The panel had recommended the building of a monument at the plaza as a memorial for those killed on the night of the shooting, which the panel said was a massacre in context.
But the Lagos government White Paper said there was inconsistency in the findings of the panel. .
The report gave the names of nine people that were killed on the night of October 20,2020.
But the government’s White Paper says the evidence of the State pathologists, Professor Obafunwa, only confirmed the death of one person as a result of gunshot injuries at the Lekki Tollgate.
The road to discrediting the Lagos EndSARS panel report started with the Lagos government when two of it’s officials alleged that the panel was biased in it’s report.
Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, reject the panel’s report on behalf of the Federal Government, claiming that the report was full of inconsistencies.
Then the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, addressed Lagosians in a live broadcast, assuring that the government would be guided by evidence and nothing more.
He also urged celebrity activists including Falz, Mr Macaroni, Seun Kuti and a lawyer. Farotimi to join him in a walk for peace. Many of them rejected, signalling that the governor may have to walk alone or at least, with officials of his government.
#EndSARS has started trending again on Twitter as a show of disapproval of the White Paper.
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