27th May, 2021
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN, a member of the Lagos State Panel on SARS Related Abuses, has said that the Panel has not made any findings on the October 20, 2020, incident where #EndSARS protesters were shot and allegedly killed.
The panel member who represents the civil society alongside Mrs. Patience Patrick-Udoh said this on Thursday in a Facebook response to Mr. Joe Igbokwe, a Special Adviser to the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Joe Igbokwe had previously said that the panel made a finding that nobody died from the Lekki Toll Gate incident.
Adegboruwa in his rebuttal titled ‘Lagos Judicial Panel on SARS Related Abuses Has Not Made Any Finding on Lekki Toll Gate Incidence’ said he was embarrassed by post coming from someone who should know better.
“I have just come across the Facebook post of Mr. Joe Igbokwe, a member of the Lagos State Executive Council as Special Adviser to the Governor, to the extent that the Lagos Judicial Panel made a finding that nobody died from the Lekki Toll Gate Incidence of October 20, 2020, he wrote.
“I was thoroughly embarrassed as I was diminished, by the said post, coming as it were, from someone who should know better.
“I’m a member of the Lagos Judicial Panel. The Panel NEVER EVER said this. No such finding came from the Panel at all.
“As a matter of fact, the Panel has just opened the cases of EndSARS protesters, who have video evidence with which they hope to disprove the claims of the Nigerian Army that nobody was shot.
“So, I truly don’t know where Mr. Joe Igbokwe got his story from, but it’s certainly not from the Panel of which I am a member.
“We are even yet to take evidence from the Lagos State Government, from the Chief Pathologist, we are yet to conclude the testimonies of the hospitals where it was alleged that people with gunshot wounds were treated.
“So, how on earth can we conclude as a Panel that people died or people did not die when we are yet to hear the whole testimonies of those involved?
He asked Nigerians to disregard the statement from Mr. Joe Igbokwe which had no verifiable source.
“I do humbly appeal to all Nigerians to disregard the statement from Mr. Joe Igbokwe which had no verifiable source.
“Members of the Panel are people with proven integrity and I can assure all Nigerians and indeed the entire world, that our findings will be based on truth; if people were killed at Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, we will say so loud and clear and heavens will not fall, but if otherwise, we will also says so, clearly.