Two members of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry have defended their integrity following criticism by a section of the public over the purported leaked report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry. A youth representative on the panel, Temitope Majekodunmi, shed light on the alleged perceived errors in the report in a statement on Twitter last Wednesday, while a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa in two statements, explained, among others, why he did not attend the panel’s entire sittings and why that was not consequential, ROBERT EGBE and ADEBISI ONANUGA report.
Errors were corrected before submission –Majekodunmi
A member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry Temitope Majekodunmi Wednesday said the leaked, error-riddled #EndSARS report in circulation was not the version it submitted to the Lagos State Government on Monday last Wednesday.
Majekodunmi, a youth representative on the panel, said the errors – spotted in the leaked widely circulated version – were corrected before the report was submitted to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
On Monday, the panel submitted two documents — a consolidated report on cases of police brutality and another on the Lekki incident investigation — to Sanwo-Olu.
Sanwo-Olu set up a four-man committee to examine it within two weeks and “bring forward the white paper that would be considered at the Lagos State executive council and presented as the white paper coming from the panel of inquiry.”
Hours afterwards, a version of the 309-page document appeared in the media space.
In that version, the panel said the “killing of unarmed protesters by soldiers on October 20, 2020 could be described in the context of a ‘massacre’”.
The report has elicited varied reactions, with some persons citing errors in the document currently in circulation.
For instance, on pages 297 and 298, which has the list of casualties, numbers 37 and 38 are repeated, making it appear that 11 deaths were recorded instead of nine.
Majekodunmi reacted to the development in a statement on Wednesday.
He explained that he had been bombarded with messages and calls seeking clarifications on the errors, adding that the errors were corrected before final submission.
He, however, noted that the leaked report was circulation was not far from the original.
Majekodunmi said: “Over a year ago, you all saddled me with the responsibility of representing the Youths at the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters. Yesterday, a detailed report from the inquiry of the Panel was submitted to the Governor of Lagos State for implementation.
“Firstly, I would like to appreciate you all for the faith you have in me and more importantly, for supporting me throughout the duration of this assignment. I commend Survivors and Advocates who braved the lengthy Judicial Panel hearings to arrive at what we considered “Appropriate Justice” for all that may have been wronged or aggrieved. Also, I would not fail to mention the sincerity of the State Government throughout the execution of the inquiry.
“Secondly, a leaked report of the Panel has been in circulation since yesterday, and I got numerous calls and messages from various persons asking me to confirm if the report was authentic, while others were particular about the error of name duplications, it is imperative to note that the leaked report in circulation is not far from the original, but I can confirm that the original is without all the identified errors.
“Furthermore, we did approve the report for print after several reviews of typographical errors, omission of some documents but duplicated as final edit; final, final edits and final of the finals of edit. Regardless of errors identified, it is important that we stick to the facts of the findings and its recommendations contained therein and also interpret appropriately. This report is all encompassing for the reasoning of peace and justice. I am sure every one of you must have gone through the details.
“To provide a summary, you can find an Executive summary of the report on pages 11-15, Background on page 16; General proceedings on pages 17-280, Panel findings on Pages 281 304, a compendium of recommendations on pages 305-308 and the conclusion to page 309.
“The report of the panel further validates our position that peaceful protesters were injured and/or killed by security operatives who were meant to protect us. The findings of the panel and most importantly, the recommendations are now in the public domain.
“In conclusion, it is not the time to rest nor sleep, it is the time to peacefully demand accountability and ensure that the recommendations of the panel are implemented. It is time to ensure that our fallen heroes do not die in vain, and that citizens of Nigeria are never afraid to peacefully protest in their native country.
“Once again, I appreciate you all for the opportunity to be of service.”
Adegboruwa: EndSARS panel members being unfairly persecuted
Another member of the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the investigation of the Lekki toll gate incident, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) claimed the panel members were being persecution since the report of its findings was submitted to the state government.
Mr Adegboruwa, in his statement last Thursday, said the panellists were being “called names”.
He said: “Since the submission of the EndSARS Panel Report to the Governor of Lagos State on November 15, 2021, members of the Panel have become subject of vicious attacks by those suspected to be agents of the government.
“All manner of allegations have been heaped upon Panel Members, some of who have been called unprintable names.
“I can confirm that no Member of the Panel lobbied to be appointed into the Panel. As a matter fact in my own case, His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, appealed to me to accept my appointment, which I saw as a call to national service. The primary reason the Governor gave to me then was that he wanted men and women of integrity, independent and not subject to manipulation, to be on the Panel.
“Just today, my attention has been drawn to an interview by a Senior Counsel to the Lagos State Government, to the effect that Panel Members collected bribe in the course of the assignment. It is unfair, ungodly and least expected of the government and its lawyers.
“The Lagos State Government asked for two weeks to enable it release a White Paper on the report submitted to it by the Panel. And we have been waiting, but it would seem that the Lagos State Government has now unleashed mindless propaganda upon Panel Members whilst at the same time asking for restraint from the general public.
“I have in my custody, certified true copies of ALL proceedings of the Panel and all exhibits tendered before the Panel in respect of the Lekki Toll Gate Investigation. I urge the government to call its agents and lawyers to order so as not to provoke aggravated responses.
“It is unfair to seek to denigrate peoples’ hard-earned reputation on account only that they accepted to render selfless service at the behest of government. If the government and its agents are not restrained from attacking others, nothing stops us from defending our integrity.
“I should not become a victim of unwarranted attack just because I accepted to serve the government and the outcome of that assignment did not favour the expectations of the government. Suffice it to mention that I worked with men and women of unblemished integrity and I’m proud to be associated with them all.
“I therefore appeal to His Excellency the Governor of Lagos State to call all agents of State to order and to keep to his promise to us to release a White Paper within two weeks and to send the unedited report of the Panel, to the National Economic Council.
‘I acted on the mandate of the governor’
In another statement, the activist-lawyer responded to comments on the panel and its report by a counsel to Lagos State government at the panel of inquiry, Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN.
Owonikoko pooh-poohed the report in circulation, saying it had no fewer than 40 material discrepancies. He further questioned the integrity of the members.
Responding in a statement, Adegboruwa said: “I have listened to the narratives of the Lagos State Government through one of its Learned Senior Counsel at the #EndSARS Panel, to the effect that Nigerians should reject the report of the Panel because I signed it, since I was not present at some of the sittings of the Panel.
“I served on the Panel on the mandate of the Governor of Lagos State, who told me on telephone that I was chosen to represent CIVIL SOCIETY. I requested for and approval was granted in writing, that my appointment was on a part-time basis. Furthermore, the Governor told me that two members were chosen to represent civil society on the Panel so that one of us would always be present at the Panel to excuse the absence of the other. I accepted the appointment in good faith, to serve the people, to calm frayed nerves at the time and also to restore normalcy to Lagos State. So, at all times, I functioned in partnership with my colleague from civil society, and there was no major sitting of the Panel in which both of us were absent.
“I also served on the Panel free of charge, from October 19, 2020 when the Panel was inaugurated till November 15, 2021, when the Panel submitted its report. The government was well aware of my identity, my perspectives, my philosophies and my general convictions, at least since my university days, before it nominated me into the Panel, that I will always say things the way they are. All Panel members acted in good faith, independently and in the fear of God Almighty.
“My principled struggles in respect of toll fee collection started way back from 2011, almost nine years before the Panel was inaugurated. Indeed, the Governor said that these were the factors that favoured my selection as a member of the Panel. Will I then deny myself, forfeit my reputation and discredit my constituency, my colleagues in the Nigerian Bar Association and comrades in civil society, in order to please anybody or cover up the truth? NEVER!
“It is therefore improper for Lagos State Government, through its lawyer that appeared before the Panel and other sponsored agents, to subject the report of the Panel and indeed the integrity of Panel members to media trials and attacks, all in the bid to build up the contents of its White Paper, which we can now reasonably foretell, from these sponsored media attacks.
“It is indeed uncharitable for the same government that urged the Panel not to be held down by strict rules of technicalities of law in order to unravel the real truth about the Lekki Toll Gate Incident, to now through its counsel, talk about alleged legal discrepancies, to frustrate the good work of the Panel that it set up.
“There are documents to back up and defend the report submitted to the Governor by the Panel but I have chosen to defer to His Excellency and to await the White Paper as promised, because I believe that the Governor meant well in setting up the Panel and giving us free hand to operate. I appeal to His Excellency to continue in that note of sincerity.
“There is no minority report from the Panel as the report submitted to the Governor on November 15, 2021 was unanimously endorsed by all members of the Panel, who worked tirelessly, day and night, to serve the government and the people, even at great risks to their health, personal safety, career and family obligations and their general well-being.
“I’m very sure that Panel members would have been lionized to the highest heavens if we had bought into the narrative of the government before the Panel that it was criminals, cultists, hoodlums and unknown gunmen that operated at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.
“I urge the government to focus on the findings and far-reaching recommendations contained in the report, in order to pursue the laudable objectives of setting up the Panel to achieve true healing and reconciliation, instead of seeking to demonize Panel members and their report or to evade responsibility.”
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