Lagos State Government finally released the much expected White Paper on the Report of Judicial Panel set up by the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to unravel the controversies on the alleged massacre at Lekki Toll Gate on 20th October, 2020
The Panel had forthright ago submitted two reports to the State Governor at the State House where the Governor promised a White Paper would be issued after setting up a committee headed by the State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Moyosere Onigbanjo (SAN).
The two Reports are titled, “Goverment White Paper on the report of Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Lekki incident investigation on 20th October, 2020.
“Goverment White Paper on the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Consolidated Report on General Police Brutality Cases 10th October, 2020.”
The State Goverment, through the White Paper expressed surprise at the inconsistencies found in the Report, saying the the Panel itself expressed doubt as to the number of deaths recorded on October 20.
The White Paper read in part, “It is astonishing that in the lost of eleven deaths set out on pages 297-298, two of the names appeared twice (Kolade Solomon and Folasade Olabisi as Nos 37 and 38. Furthermore, the person mentioned as No 46 Nathaniel Solomon who testified as a witness and petitioner at the JPI in respect of his brother who he alleged died at LTG was himself listed as having died at LTG on 20th.
“Remarkably, Nathaniel and Solomon’s deceased’s brother (Abata Solomon was then also listed as No2 on the list of persons who died at LTG.
“Another substantial inconsistency in the JPI Report was the award of compensation to only one out of the alleged nine listed as “deceased” which showed that the JPI itself had doubts as to the death of eight other allegedly deceased person’s on its list. See page 304 in the JPI Report.
“Government is therefore unable to accept the finding that nine people died of guashot wounds at LTG on 20th October 2020.
“It also follows that the irresistible conclusion to be drawn from the JPI’s acceptance of Prof Obafuawa’s testimony that only one (1) person died of gunshot wounds at LTG on 21% October 2020 is that there was a massacre at L1G, contextual or otherwise.
“The findings of the JPI that ninety-nibe (99 people died at BTG on 20° October 2620 from gunshots, fired by the Military are based on assumptions and conjectures.
“The inconsistencies:and contratradictions in the entire JP! Report concerning the mumber of persons who died at LTG on 20″ October 2020 and their TauslFwPteath rendered the JPI’s findings and conclusions therefore ttotally unreliable and therefore unacceptable.”
The Panel however recommended the establishment of a standing cemmittee to bridge the gap between the society and the police via information gathering, community engagement, youth sensitization; prompt intervention on issue: that require intelligence gathering, policing and community policing principle.
