The Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters sitting in Lagos today Monday 18th October 2021 awarded compensation to the tune one hundred and forty eight million, two hundred thousand naira to victims of police brutality and rights abuses among other recommendations at it’s valedictory session.
In all, there were 35 petitions on the cause list of the day for which some were billed for decision and others for further hearing. At the end of the day, those petitions that were inconclusive were adjourned sine die and recommended for further actions by the state government.
Some other petitions were struck out for lack of merit due to the inability of the petitioner to prove it’s case, while one of the petitions was recommended for re-investigation by the police with the role of two police officers attached to Ojo police station, Bawa and Salisu, ordered to be investigated in the petition of the family of Boniface Onyeamechi Enwerem vs the Nigeria police force.
On the Lekki tollgate incident, the panel made it clear that all testimonies in the matter had been concluded and that as the panel winds up it’s public sitting today, it would still be working to collate it’s report and make it’s findings on the matter to the government in line with the mandate of the National Economic Council (NEC) which directed the setting up of the panel.
The panel then assured all the parties, that it would make it’s findings known to the government which would then release a white paper on the report in due course. It assured the parties of dispensing justice on the Lekki tollgate incident without fear or favour.
In concluding, the panel thanked all the stakeholders for their patience and understanding during the course of the panel sitting and for the confidence reposed in the panel by all who appeared before it.
Responding Mr. A. J. Owonikoko appreciated the panel for being thorough, impartial and professional in the discharge of it’s assignment just as he thanked other counsels for the cooperation given to the panel even when tempers flared. He said he hoped that by the 2020 EndSARS protests which led to the setting up of the panel, that lessons have been learnt by all and that by the outcome of the petitions decided by the panel have revealed that justice has been served to persons whose rights were violated without having to go through the rigours of the regular courts.
He appreciated and paid glowing tributes to the character and integrity of members of the panel.
Also responding, Mr. Adeshina Ogunlana of the EndSARS movement while thanking the panel members for their sacrifice and diligence to duty, aligned with the position of Mr. Owonikoko in applauding the panel in which he reaffirmed his confidence in the Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd) led judicial panel to dispense justice and that he was not disappointed.
But he craved the panel to create a window to come back and address parties on the findings of the Lekki tollgate incident of October 20th 2020, but the panel chairman Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd), in response, stated that it was impossible in view of the reality on ground.
In all, the panel conducted hearings into 186 petitions and the 20th October Lekki tollgate incident.
