By Adebisi Onanuga

The Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) has asked the Lagos State government to conduct coroner inquests into the death of protesters at Lekki tollgate.

The group promised to establish an Independent National Citizen’s Panel of Enquiry into the incident.

ASCAB stated this in a statement on Sunday on “the resolution at the general meeting of its affiliates on the Lekki deaths of peaceful and unarmed protesters and subsequent rage of citizens”.

It said the Citizen’s Panel of Enquiry would have representatives of credible and identified organisations of youths that took part in the #EndSARS protest, including the feminist coalition, among others, and representatives of credible civil society organisations (CSOs).

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The group said the Citizen’s Panel of Enquiry would be chaired by a respected and credible lawyer or a retired judge while ASCAB would provide secretariat support for the panel.

“The panel shall undertake forensic analysis of evidence received and recommend appropriate scale of compensation for dependents of victims of rights abuse; recommend appropriate forms of restorative justice with a view to making the perpetrators of abuse of citizens’ rights to take responsibility for their unconscionable behaviour and heal the emotional wounds of the victims and the society whose norms and values have been desecrated among others.

Also, ASCAB blamed security agencies for the arsons that trailed the two-week protest across the country.

The group, which condemned the killing of peaceful protesters in different parts of Nigeria, also demanded that the armed soldiers who shot, killed and injured unarmed peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate on October 20 should be brought to justice without further delay.