By Robert Egbe
Two men have asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to disband the Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS-Related Abuses in Lagos State and Lekki tollgate incident.
They prayed the court to declare that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was a party in the matter and cannot set up a panel to investigate itself.
The plaintiffs in the case – Adekunle Augustine and Semion Akogwu – argued that he who pays the piper dictates the tune, and that because of this, the outcome of the panel would favour the state.
They filed the November 11, 2020 suit through their counsel, Samuel Adama.
The governor, the chairman of the panel, the judicial panel of enquiry and the state’s Attorney-General are the first, second, third and fourth defendants.
In the affidavit in support of the originating summon, the plaintiffs said: “On October 20, 2020, the first defendant caused the deployment of troops to Lekki tollgate, Lagos State, where a large number of youths were gathered in peaceful protest against police brutality; and the troops fired several artillery weapons at the scene leading to various degrees of bodily injuries and alleged death of several people.
“The first defendant admitted that he authorised the deployment of troops to Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020 to stop the peaceful protest which by extension occasioned the use of artillery weapons by the soldiers at the scene, leading to some life threatening injuries, grievous hurt and alleged death of many of the protesters. A newspaper publications to the fact that the 1st Defendant admitted he authorised the deployment of troops to Lekki Toll Gate Lagos on that 20th October, 2020 is hereby annexed and marked Exhibit ‘A’.
“The 1st Defendant thereafter set up of the 3rd Defendant consisting of 20 members with the 2nd Defendant as the Head, for the purpose of investigating the Lekki Toll Gate military invasion and other matters thereto and to make recommendations to the 1st Defendant on the findings. A newspaper publication on this fact is hereby annexed and marked Exhibit ‘B’.”
