Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the state will today (Tuesday) release a white paper on the report of a judicial panel set up to investigate the shooting of unarmed protesters by Nigeria soldiers and police at the Lekki Toll Gate on the evening of October 20, 2020.
The judicial panel said what happened to the protesters “could in context be described as a massacre”.
Despite the Nigerian government dismissing the findings of the panel, Sanwo-Olu said on Tuesday that the state must come “to terms” with the killing of the protesters who were protesting against police brutality and provide “closure”.
“I will start by saying that we, as an administration, are determined that the next steps that will be taken in this process of coming to terms with the events of October 2020, must bring closure to a painful episode in the history of our State, with the release of the White Paper later today,” the governor said.
The judicial panel submitted its reports – one on cases of police brutality in the state and another on the killings of the anti-police brutality protesters – on November 15.
Sanwo-Olu said during the submission that he will set up a committee to come up with a white paper on the recommendations of the panel.
“We will ensure that the recommendations that are coming out that will be turned into a white paper and would be made available to the public,” Sanwo-Olu said while receiving copies of the reports.
The governor said a four-member committee headed by the Attorney-General, the Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, the Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure and the Permanent Secretary, the Cabinet office would produce the white paper.
But a member of the panel Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a lawyer, said it would be unfair and improper for Lagos State who is a party in the inquiry to review the report of the panel.
The white paper the governor promised will be made public later today.