Amnesty International Nigeria office, has joined the global calls for the Lagos State Government to make the findings of the Judicial Panel of inquiring on Lekki Toll Gate shooting incident public.
The call is coming a few hours after the Lagos State Government after receiving the reports of the Judicial Panel of inquiring on the Lekki Tollgate shooting stated that the state government has set up a four-member committee led by Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) to raise a White Paper.
Amnesty International which has constantly called out the Federal and Lagos State government on the EndSARS issues, especially that of the Lekki Tollgate shooting, while reacting to the judicial panel reports, released a message on Tuesday 16th November 2021, on its official social media account saying:
“Amnesty International is calling on Lagos state government to make public findings of the judicial panel of inquiry on Lekki Toll Gate shooting incident that took place during #EndSARS protests,” the statement said.
What Is In The Allegedly Leaked Lagos State EndSARS Panel Reports?
On Monday 15th November 2021, the Lagos State Judiciary EndSARS Panel report, which was a report the Police brutality, and the alleged Lekki toll gate shooting was submitted to the Lagos State Governor, and in the report, it was disclosed that protesters were massacred at the toll gate, contrarily to the report of the Federal Government.
Recall that on October 20, 2020, the Nigerian Army were reported to have opened fire at unarmed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate.
Police officers were also said to be present at the scene of the incident.
The Federal Government had denied severally that the shooting ever happened.
However, the panel, in its findings, which was submitted to the Lagos State Government, on Monday, noted that protesters were killed at the toll gate.
The findings also revealed that security operatives prevented ambulances from reaching injured protesters.
The report reads: “At the Lekki Toll Gate, officers of the Nigerian Army shot, injured and killed unarmed helpless and defenceless protesters, without provocation or justification, while they were waving the Nigerian Flag and singing the National Anthem and the manner of assault and killing could in context be described as a massacre.
“The Panel also found that the conduct of the Nigerian Army was exacerbated by its refusal to allow ambulances render medical assistance to victims who required such assistance. The Army was also found not to have adhered to its own Rules of Engagement.
“The Panel found that the Nigerian Police Force deployed its officers to the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of the 20th October, 2020 and between that night and the morning of the 21st of October, 2020, its officers shot at, assaulted and battered unarmed protesters, which led to injuries and deaths.”