EndSARS: FG has no Power to Investigate Probe Reports by States – Adesina
By Kabir Akintayo
The Presidency has said that states’ judicial panels on police brutality and extrajudicial killings won’t submit their reports to the Federal Government.
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, said under the law, Federal Government has no power to en-panel a probe by the states.
Adesina, speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme monitored by Politics Digest on Monday, said Federal Government can only interfere when there is a compelling reason to do so.
“What would happen is that when the state comes up with pronouncements on that panel reports, that would then be of interest to the Federal Government; it is not as if they would bring it to the Federal Government.”
He said that the Federal Government would then look into areas of interest in the report and address the areas.
The presidential spokesman added that “Nigerians should be reminded that 36 policemen were killed around the country during the EndSARS protests last year and the perpetrators should be held accountable.”
He also said America has its fair share of police brutality, adding that it was not just a Nigerian thing but a global phenomenon.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters had on Monday, November 15, 2021, submitted a 309-page report to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, .
In the leaked report, Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel noted that at least nine persons were confirmed dead at the Lekki toll plaza when soldiers stormed the tollgate to disperse EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020.
Meanwhile, PRNigeria had earlier reported discrepancies in the report and how the Panel provided contradicting submissions on forensic testimony by the Lagos State Chief Pathologist, Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa, in its report. https://prnigeria.com/2021/11/21/endsars-panel-forensic/
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who received the report, constituted a Committee to bring forward a White Paper within the next two weeks to be considered by the Lagos State Executive Council.
President Muhammadu Buhari had told Antony Blinken, the United States Secretary of State, during his recent visit to Abuja, that his regime would allow the system to exhaust itself, and would, therefore, wait for pronouncements from state governments that set up panels to probe police brutality in their respective states.
