22nd December, 2011
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has issued an executive order for full investigation into last Saturday’s alleged killing of a man during the protest against the commencement of toll on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
There have been reports that a man was killed during the protest.
The governor in an executive order, asked the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, and the Commissioner of Police to carry out investigation into the matter and submit a report to him on 30 December.
The governor in a statement said: “My attention has been drawn to a publication and other reports alleging that a citizen was shot and killed by members of the Nigerian Police Force during protests which took place at the Lekki toll gate on Saturday, 17 December, 2011 by citizens in expression of their constitutional rights to ventilate their grievances.
“Whilst I recognise the right of the Nigeria Police Force to enforce the law, our democracy does not permit either the excessive use of force or extra judicial killing,†he said.
The governor ordered that a thorough investigation must be carried out to ascertain the veracity of the claims that one person was killed during the protest for appropriate action to be taken by the government.
“The investigation should ascertain if anyone was actually killed during the protest. Who were the witnesses to the alleged killing? If victim was killed by police or any other person at the protests; the identity of the victims and the identity of the medical doctor who certified victim dead.
“If victim has been buried, we want to know the location where he/she was buried. The identity of the person who issued the permit for burial, location of the corpse, if victim has not been buried and by what authority any person purports to keep the victim’s corpse.
“The investigation must commence as soon as possible and be concluded not later than Friday, 30 December 2011 by which time I expect to receive a full report of findings and detailed recommendations,†Fashola stated.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga