Still on the Judicial Panel Report On EndSARS By Abisan Damian Theophilus

Still on the Judicial Panel Report On EndSARS By Abisan Damian Theophilus

It is no longer news that taking of human life is an occurring phenomenal in Nigeria, however, the Lagos Toll Gate (LTG) incidence on 20th October, 2020 has generated numerus controversies that put Nigerians on a difficult situation on whose account to believe; the government, panel report, eye witnesses or the media?

The incident at LTG and it’s aftermath is one which clearly shows that the principle of fundamental human rights as contained in chapter 4 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution as amended 2012 is a mere show of codification of laws and should not be taken seriously. Hence it contains the right of citizens to embark on a peaceful protest, one will want to ask; why protect peaceful protesters with arms? However, it will be fair to also ask; whether the protest was peaceful?

The end SARS protest was a channel for young Nigerians to charge the government to put an end to police brutality against citizens which was aimed to end not in violence. Whatever be the case, the concern of this write-up is not to determine whether it was a peaceful or a non peaceful protest but to communicate an opinion of the effect of the protest on Nigerians and actions taken to proofer justice to the affected.

Why are Nigerians confused on who or what to believe as regards the lost of life at Lekki on the day of the protest? To start with, where’s life lost? Recall that Immediately after the protest, report circulated that there were death cases one of the report is that of pro John Oladapo Obafunwa Which was submitted to the Lagos State government, the report stated that three deaths where identified, however, the identities of the dead where unknown. This report was purported to have been gotten from an autopsy conducted at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). The endsars panel in it report suggest that not to be true since other 96 corpses were not linked to the lekki tall gate incident of October 20th, 2020.

The November 15th report submitted to the Lagos State government by the judicial panel of inquiry set by the governor sample numerous evidences I will like to highlight which includes the medical evidence published by hospital who treated protesters revealed only 2 deaths which contradicted the report by Prof. Obafunwa as upheld by the panel, they also relied on evidence of a protester who was shot and taken to be death but was later found alive that 11 corpse were placed with him where he was presumed to be death. The panel upholding that 9 more people died of gunshots wounds by the pathologist who conducted autopsies on all bodies picked during the protest will likely convince anyone that the evidence given by that Protestant.

Non the less how does one consider the picking of corpses by the Lagos State environmental Health Monitoring unit after the protest a mere cover-up? Should the bodies be left littered on the street? The same panel upheld the testimonies of protesters that Army prevented ambulances from taking injured protesters away without an evidence from any ambulance personal been presented by the panel, this clearly shows the unbalanced investigation carried out by the panel, the more confusing aspect of the panel’s report is the document which it called casualties list at the Lekki tall gate incident of 20/10/2020 containing 48 names without stating how the names were gotten.

Despite the inconsistency in the report, panel members as well as witnesses has been treated which has been even before the report was out. It is therefore not wrong to say the report was produced under duress, therefore, for justice to be done, a new panel should be set for an honest investigation and the panel members should not be made public for an effective fact finding and recommendation without treat.