The Integrity Youth Alliance has commended the Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu for not interfering in the Lagos State EndSARS Panel.
According to a press release on Tuesday, 16th November, 2021 jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Kelvin Adegbenga and National Publicity Secretary, Danjuma Lamido, they pointed out that the panel had operated independently while commending members of the Justice Okuwobi-led panel for a job well done.
It will be recalled that in October 2020, young people across Nigeria took to the streets calling for disbanding an abusive police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and for ending brutality in movement tagged #EndSARS, the statement said.
The statement read further, “As a result of the violence which led to several police stations being burnt, policemen killed, suspects in police custody released and weapons carted away; the Lagos State Government had to invite the Nigerian Army to intervene in the fallout of the #EndSARS protest.
“The situation was quickly degenerating into anarchy. It was at this point that Lagos State Government requested for the military to intervene in order to restore normalcy, the statement said.
The Alliance reiterated that the world over, it is the custom that the army intervenes when a situation overcomes the police and paramilitary services. The occurrences that took place from October 18 were nothing short of lawlessness and violence.
“It was these incidents that made the Governor of Lagos State ask for military intervention and in our opinion, that was the correct thing to do since the Police had been overrun and Policemen were fighting for their dear lives.
“It is on record that the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel highly praised the Lagos State Governor for compensating those deserving cases of police abuses while a special case was made for victims of the Lekki Toll Gate Incident of October 20, 2020.
“True to his word, the Governor of Lagos State granted total independence to the Panel, as they worked according to their conscience and based upon their common convictions, the statement said.
It will be recalled that the Governor Sanwo -Olu invited the military to restore normalcy and it the duty of the military to follow all laid down procedures for Internal Security operations and confines of the Rules of Engagement (ROE) for Internal Security operations.
“We commend the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel for its revelation in a 309-page report submitted to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Monday and called on the Federal Government and Lagos State to critically look into the 32 Recommendations by the Panel for implementation, the statement concluded.
