Awka – A human rights activist, Ayo Yinka has called on the members of the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry on ENDSARS to defend their reports amidst the recent comments by the federal government.
On Tuesday, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed had said the recent report by Lagos panel is totally false and misleading, and not based on any fact or evidence but on fictitious information mostly from social media platforms.
The Minister believes there is absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to that can make the Federal Government change its stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on Oct. 20th 2020.
According to him, for government to change its stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required standards and will withstand every scrutiny must be produced and presented to the public, adding that the Lagos Panel report in circulation does not meet those requirements.
But the Rights Activist in an interview with TNC correspondent, said though the discrediting statements by the minister of information did not come as a surprise, it is essential the panelists speak up for posterity’s sake.
“Just like we activists and Nigerians have been standing and insisting that what happened on October, 20 at Lekki did actually happen, they should come out and defend their report.
“This is not time for them to be quiet and not allow anyone to rubbish their report and integrity just because they are Minister of Information.
“If we did not defend that what happened did happen, they may not have anything to work on, so they should come out and defend their report until the White Paper is released, he said.
Yinka said human rights activists and Nigerians are waiting for the presentation of the white paper by the Lagos state government, to determine the next line of action on the Lekki toll gate shooting.
“The Minister said the report is a fabrication and that the report does not have a basis yet until it has a white paper, which is what they are waiting for.
“So if the Lagos State Government is not bold enough to stand by the truth, we will then know the next place to go,” he said.
Reacting to the development, a member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, Temitope Majekodunmi maintained that the federal government is discrediting the Lekki toll gate report because they are afraid to penalize the police and military for their actions at the Lekki toll gate.
Mr. Majekodunmi said it is sad that a panel that took inventory of all claims and cross-examined witnesses before journalists are labeled incompetent.
Majekodunmi further called for the judicial panel of inquiry on police brutality and the Lekki toll gate shooting to be allowed to defend their report to save their integrity.
